--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It might feel, at least to some of us…" description: "\"“It might feel, at least to some of us, that our opinions about issues such as abortion and the death penalty are the products of careful deliberation ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e7e/paul-bloom-3720_cognitive-process_it-might-feel-at-least-to-some-of-us-tha_671482.jpg" --- # It might feel, at least to some of us, that our opinions… ![“It might feel, at least to some of us, that our opinions about issues such as abortion and the death penalty are the products of careful deliberation and that our specific moral acts, such as deciding to give to charity or visit a friend in the hospital—or for that matter, deciding to shoplift or…” quote by Paul Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e7e/paul-bloom-3720_cognitive-process_it-might-feel-at-least-to-some-of-us-tha_671482.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e7e/paul-bloom-3720_cognitive-process_it-might-feel-at-least-to-some-of-us-tha_671482.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e7e/paul-bloom-3720_cognitive-process_it-might-feel-at-least-to-some-of-us-tha_671482.jpg) > ““It might feel, at least to some of us, that our opinions about issues such as abortion and the death penalty are the products of careful deliberation and that our specific moral acts, such as deciding to give to charity or visit a friend in the hospital—or for that matter, deciding to shoplift or shout a racist insult out of a car window—are grounded in conscious decision-making. But this is said to be mistaken. As Jonathan Haidt argues, we are not judges; we are lawyers, making up explanations after the deeds have been done. Reason is impotent. "We celebrate rationality," agrees de Waal, "but when push comes to shove we assign it little weight.”” [Paul Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-bloom/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. We often think our moral choices are rational, but post‑hoc rationalizations shape them; true reasoning is weak. **In simple terms:** Moral judgments are mostly after‑the‑fact justifications. Key Takeaway Recognize the role of intuition in decisions. Themes morality intuition reasoning Mood reflective critical Type philosophical analytical When to use this quote - political debate - personal ethics - charitable giving - conflict resolution Key Concepts psychology behavioral economics Questions to Reflect On - How much of your moral stance is intuitive? - Can you identify a recent post‑hoc rationalization? A Different Perspective Intuition can be biased, leading to flawed justifications. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Careful Deliberation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/careful-deliberation-790963/) [Conscious decision](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conscious-decision/) [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Death penalty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death-penalty/) [Decision making](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decision-making/) [Deliberation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deliberation/) [Empathy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/empathy/) [Morality-without-religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/morality-without-religion/) [Rationality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rationality/) [Rationality Agrees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rationality-agrees-5330255/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [Some decisions, like opening a fire hydrant to put out a fire, are easy to make. 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Anyone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-weber/it-is-not-true-that-good-can-follow-only-from-good-and-evil-only-from/) [Max Weber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-weber/) > [“Morality is like defecation. When you have the urge to defecate, do you ask an intellectual, what it is like to feel like defecating…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/morality-is-like-defecation-when-you-have-the-urge-to-defecate-do-you/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) ## More by Paul Bloom > [I have two teenage sons, and they're both surviving, thriving, and having a great time, and they're always on social media.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-bloom/i-have-two-teenage-sons-and-they-re-both-surviving-thriving-and/) [Paul Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-bloom/) > [Families survive the terrible twos because toddlers aren't strong enough to kill with their hands and aren't capable of using lethal weapons.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-bloom/families-survive-the-terrible-twos-because-toddlers-aren-t-strong/) [Paul Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-bloom/) > [If Inigo Montoya were around now, he wouldn't need to storm the castle to bring his father's murderer to justice; the police would do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-bloom/if-inigo-montoya-were-around-now-he-wouldn-t-need-to-storm-the-castle/) [Paul Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-bloom/) > [Most of us know nothing about constitutional law, so it's hardly surprising that we take sides in the Obamacare debate the way we root…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-bloom/most-of-us-know-nothing-about-constitutional-law-so-it-s-hardly/) [Paul Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-bloom/) > [“Being a good person likely is more related to distanced feelings of compassion and kindness, along with intelligence, self-control, and a sense of justice.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-bloom/being-a-good-person-likely-is-more-related-to-distanced-feelings-of/) [Paul Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-bloom/) > [Imagination is Reality Lite - a useful substitute when the real pleasure is inaccessible, too risky, or too much work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-bloom/imagination-is-reality-lite-a-useful-substitute-when-the-real/) [Paul Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-bloom/) > [One way to make a baby cry is to expose it to cries of other babies. 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But this is said to be mistaken. As Jonathan Haidt argues, we are not judges; we are lawyers, making up explanations after the deeds have been done. 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