by Cory Clark

When determining whether someone did something intentionally, should it matter whether the action had positive or negative consequences? Logically, the downstream consequences of an action should be irrelevant to such judgments, but research reveals that U.S. Americans are far more likely to see actions with harmful side-effects as intended than identical actions with helpful ones.[1]

Consider the following example:

This week on the blog, Eric D. Knowles, and Linda R. Tropp, discuss the Rise of White Identity in Politics in this week’s post. Our "Posts Not to Miss" section includes the answer to the question, can images of watching eyes increase generosity? Other posts look at the cultural aspects of smiling and the role of political ideology in reasoning.               

By Eric D. Knowles, New York University and Linda R. Tropp, University of Massachusetts Amherst

By Stefanie Northover

By Thomas Talhelm

Several years ago, I was traveling in Thailand. They call it “the land of smiles,” and that sure seemed true to me. I remember seeing a passenger on the back of a motorbike make eye contact with me and smile. I smiled back.

Two days later, I landed in Kunming, southwestern China. Thailand had gotten me into the habit of smiling at people, so as I walked in a local market, I smiled at anyone who made eye contact with me. What happened in response is what I’d call confusion, mild negativity, and sometimes a furrowed brow.

This week on the blog, Anup Gamba discusses why political ideology undermines logical reasoning. Our C&C Posts Not To Miss section includes the answer to the question, is the internet making you mean, explores what we talk about when we talk about morality, and has a timely throwback to judging political hearts and minds.                   

By Anup Gampa

I can’t get into an agreement to become a McDonald’s sandwich. Because I’m not! I can smell like McDonald’s sandwich, but I can never be a McDonald’s sandwich. And so, two men can never be a marriage.

E. W. Jackson – Conservative Activist