Somewhere in the 70's comedian Flip Wilson developed a tagline "the devil made me do it" as a routine in his appearances. This phrase quickly saturated the American lexicon, and became a more nuanced way of confessing "I did it, but its not my fault".
I have many children, and remember well when another version of this excuse-making entered our household. Entering the house after school, one would start explaining "you should have seen what the other kids got on the math test"....how many "f's" there were...as a prelude to the announcement she had a D or F, but it wasn't really her fault...
There are some more modern versions of this same "nuanced confession" tendency today. One is being "radicalized". As though an individual had little choice, he or she, like walking through a rain shower produces wetness, got "radicalized" by being in the presence of some nefarious teaching. The person didn't make choices, the person was "radicalized". The devil made them do it. Not their fault.
Another one relates to "desire". A person cannot help their behavior because of "desire". Often included in sexual behavior, in a way of excusing one from observing accepted moral behavior, the excuse "I was born with this or that behavior" really means "I like doing it, and my liking it trumps right or wrong" (or, in some cases, defines right and wrong). Of course it isn't hard to take this to its logical conclusion.
I suppose there are mitigating circumstances to all behavior, right or wrong. In addition, I am sure "right" and "wrong" norms morph with time and culture. Understanding that, it is still true that we make daily choices. As I grab a handful of chips in the middle of the morning, my desire overrides my knowledge of the effect on my waistline, the devil radicalizes my dietary choices, and I get fat. Shame. Imagine how skinny I'd be if I made the choice based on the righteousness of healthy eating.
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