The racism underlying today’s civil unrest begs the question: What enables us to do these things in life and business that are in direct opposition to our stated values?

One answer is moral disengagement. Social psychology recognizes many forms of moral disengagement, all of which lead us to act as though accepted ethical standards don’t apply to us in certain situations, often perpetuating horrific acts and great harm. It leads to dehumanizing people in an “us” and “them” situation. We perversely reason that if “they” are not human like us, the logic goes, then the rules for how to treat humans who are like us don’t apply.

Take the Three-Fifths Clause of the United States Constitution of 1787, for example, wherein slaves were measured as three-fifths of a person to determine the number of congressmen each state would send to the House of Representatives. This “less than human” assessment sustained—among other deplorable actions, such as treating African Americans as chattel to be bought and sold— the dehumanization and debasement of all members of the black community. The same was true in the Holocaust, in which non-Aryans were considered subhuman and were forced to live in unforgivable conditions, endure unimaginable suffering, and perish in concentration camps. There are, unfortunately, numerous other examples of tremendous harm inflicted on specific cultures, tribes, and peoples that has been fueled by moral disengagement through dehumanization. It is the “how” that enables behaviors many claim to be against, like racism, violence, embezzlement, etc.

In business, moral disengagement through dehumanization occurs when we reduce customers to a data point, employees to assets to be deployed, and competitors to faceless enemies to be destroyed. By forgetting or ignoring that “they,” like us, are all human beings with multiple commonalities, we make it much easier to engage in and rationalize all kinds of otherwise unacceptable behaviors.

But what drives us to disengage?

At the core, its fear—fear of losing, fear of difference, fear of embarrassment, fear of failure—fears that are typically unfounded and irrational but have been perpetuated by a multitude of influential forces—political, social, economic, and more. Throughout history, we have seen that fear is a powerful energy that can propel us to do crazy things, often with an irrational yet comforting sense of justification that resists any challenge and questioning.

Today’s civil unrest is a mighty invitation to look within- as leaders and as human beings – and ask ourselves where our beliefs and behaviors are not aligned. Only then we and our companies can make amends for the harm done, and come up with ways to get back into alignment and stay there. 

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