Latter Day Struggles

109: The Slippery Slope of Self Justification


Listen Later

Send us a Positive Review!

In this episode Valerie reviews some fascinating ideas about the relationship between cognitive dissonance and self justification and applies these ideas to humanity, institutions, churches, and the LDS church.

She walks you through the following ideas:

  1. why humans and institutions self justify
  2. why people in leadership are especially prone to self justification
  3. why entire communities get caught up in self justifying behaviors
  4. the self-justifying tactics people and institutions use when they are called out for questionable behaviors
  5. what can be done to overcome the tendency to self justify 

In this episode Valerie applies principles of “self justification theory” to make sense of both historical and current struggles within the LDS church where this concept seems to readily apply.  

This episode is intended to help faith expanding Latter-day Saints better understand the nature of their struggles as well as shine a light on typical phenomenon connected to the human experience that might be manifest on the faith journey. 

The book referenced throughout this episode is called

  • Mistakes Were Made (But Not By Me): Why We Justify Foolish Beliefs, Bad Decisions and Hurtful Acts, by Carol Tavris, Marsha Mercant, et al.


Support the show

Support the show

Listen, Share, Rate & Review EPISODES

Friday Episodes Annual Subscription $89

Friday Episodes Monthly Subscription $10

Valerie’s Support & Processing Groups

Gift a Scholarship

Download Free Resources

Visit our Website

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Latter Day StrugglesBy Valerie Hamaker

  • 4.5
  • 4.5
  • 4.5
  • 4.5
  • 4.5

4.5

827 ratings


More shows like Latter Day Struggles

View all
Mormon Stories Podcast by Dr. John Dehlin

Mormon Stories Podcast

5,509 Listeners

Mormon Discussions Podcasts – Full Lineup by Bill Reel

Mormon Discussions Podcasts – Full Lineup

638 Listeners

Better Than Happy by Jody Moore

Better Than Happy

5,682 Listeners

Mormon Land by The Salt Lake Tribune

Mormon Land

329 Listeners

Faith Matters by Faith Matters Foundation

Faith Matters

1,727 Listeners

Listen, Learn & Love Hosted by Richard Ostler by Richard Ostler

Listen, Learn & Love Hosted by Richard Ostler

842 Listeners

Radio Free Mormon by Mormon Discussion Inc

Radio Free Mormon

1,317 Listeners

Sunstone Mormon History Podcast by Sunstone

Sunstone Mormon History Podcast

510 Listeners

Conversations with Dr. Jennifer by Dr. Jennifer Finlayson-Fife

Conversations with Dr. Jennifer

49 Listeners

All Out in the Open by All Out in the Open, Questions from the Closet

All Out in the Open

1,198 Listeners

At Last She Said It by Cynthia Winward, Susan Hinckley

At Last She Said It

1,044 Listeners

Breaking Down Patriarchy by Amy McPhie Allebest

Breaking Down Patriarchy

596 Listeners

Come Back Podcast by Ashly Stone

Come Back Podcast

1,575 Listeners

Mormon.ish by Rebecca Bibliotheca and Landon Brophy

Mormon.ish

183 Listeners

Girlscamp by Hayley Rawle

Girlscamp

1,849 Listeners