A recent study discussed in Livescience suggests that when we are confronted with a moral dilemma, we resolve it by listening to our bodies. In “Your moral compass is tied to how in tune you are with your body, study hints” by Skyler Ware (May 28, 2025), the author notes that:
When wrestling with a moral dilemma, a person may reach a decision not only by thinking through the problem but also by tuning into physical signals from their body, a new study suggests.
The research found that people who are more in tune with their body signals — such as shifts in their heart rate — tend to make moral decisions that align with the judgments that most other people would make if presented the same scenario. These findings suggest that such internal, physical cues could thus play a role in guiding a person’s moral intuition, the study authors said. (Id.)
Tamami Nakano, a cognitive neuroscientist at the University of Osaka, who was one of the researchers, pointed out that “morality is often viewed as a product of culture and context.” (Id.) As a result, our physical reactions can help us decide what to do or how to resolve a moral dilemma. (Id.)
Previous studies had shown that “… siding with the majority in a moral dilemma could help take some strain off the brain.” (Id.) Indeed, siding with the majority helps us conserve resources that we need to survive. Thus, by going along with others, we avoid conflict and meet the expectations of those around us. (Id.)
To test this theory that our moral compass is tied to our self-awareness, the researchers presented a group of participants with moral dilemmas. They asked them to choose between two decisions: one based on the “end justifies the means” or utilitarian approach, and one where it is the rightness of the action itself, not the result, which is important, or the deontological approach.
In a separate test, the researchers asked the same participants to count their heartbeats. They found that those who were most accurate in their counting “… also tended to choose the moral decision that most others chose. (Id.)
Do our bodies unwittingly reveal when we are about to go against social norms or make a morally wrong decision? Is the anxiety we feel- the increased heart rate, the sweating or shaking, the difficulty in breathing trying to tell us something? Are we about to embark on the wrong moral path?
It is an interesting theory, to say the least. Perhaps we should indeed listen to our bodies the next time we have a tough decision to make.
… Just something to think about.
-------------------------------------
Do you like what you read?
If you would like to receive this blog automatically by e mail each week, please click on one of the following plugins/services:
and for the URL, type in my blog post address: http://www.pgpmediation.com/feed/ and then type in your e mail address and click "submit".
Copyright 2021 Phyllis G. Pollack and www.pgpmediation.com, 2021. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Phyllis G. Pollack and www.pgpmediation.com with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
