When Narratives Justify Wrongdoing: Understanding Corruption’s Roots

Corruption is something society should never tolerate, as it carries a wide range of costs and consequences across different situations. Much like a common cold, corruption spreads quickly among people who are tempted by the same pressures and desires—particularly the need for belonging and the desire to be respected within certain circles. These motivations often drive individuals toward corruption for personal gain, and at times this behavior blends with the psychology of hate.

Representing the darker
self- perceptions of entitlement
that leads to
corruption and hate.

(Hate can come from any person, race, religion or
background if they choose that path.

Notice the background. Kind of
cool.)

"The corruption of the best
things gives rise to the worst."
 - David Hume

While psychological theories often discuss the darker aspects of corruption and hate, they rarely connect the two, even though both share a distorted sense of self. When someone takes from another person or from society illicitly, they place their own desires above the greater good. Likewise, when someone harbors hatred toward entire groups, it reveals a belief that their own needs, perceptions, and social networks outweigh the rights and dignity of others.

Hate and corruption thrive within narratives that justify inappropriate actions sometimes directly against certain codified values. When people internalize these narratives—about themselves or others—they begin to make compromises. It often looks like this: although the stated purpose of a law is to protect society from corruption, someone might convince themselves that a certain group is less worthy of fair treatment, and therefore feel justified in bending or breaking the rules to uphold their own value system.

This is a distorted lens, and individuals may not fully recognize it. Yet it is rooted in how they view themselves and how they weigh their own needs against the needs of others. Narcissists, criminals, and those with dark Machiavellian traits can easily exploit these weaknesses, leading to actions that are both harmful and deeply destructive. Only after the damage is done—after time has passed and new people replace the old—do we often realize the full extent of the wrongdoing. Rarely do get to do it in real time to study it.

However, all of this can be avoided, in any place or time, if we reflect seriously on what is essential for societal progress and the preservation of human integrity. Whether we look to oaths, institutions, moral or religious teachings, ethics, or strategic principles, we find that society is built upon foundational values that must be protected, strengthened, and upheld.

Hate and corruption each carry two distinct harms: the wrongful act itself and the effort to shield or justify that act. Strong and resilient people, institutions, and leaders understand this and work to create environments where destructive behaviors become less likely to take root. If they aren't doing that then they are not doing their duty to the broader stakeholders of society.

Those who fail to value moral conscience or a true ethical compass are unlikely to foster goals that benefit everyone. Encouraging, protecting, or normalizing hate undermines any society. Instead, we must aim to build efficient and resilient systems by reducing corruption, holding bad actors accountable, and promoting unity, fairness, and indivizibility—conditions that maximize human potential and support the free exchange of ideas that drives development.

You may find the referenced study on corruption particularly interesting, as it explores why people are more likely to engage in corrupt behavior when it becomes normalized. 

How the Perception of Corruption Shapes the Willingness to Bribe: Evidence From An Online Experiment