{"id":1211,"date":"2026-04-28T06:25:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-28T12:25:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tidbitsofaudacity.com\/wordpress\/?p=1211"},"modified":"2026-04-13T07:07:37","modified_gmt":"2026-04-13T13:07:37","slug":"moral-relativism-the-tyranny-we-call-kindness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tidbitsofaudacity.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/2026\/04\/28\/moral-relativism-the-tyranny-we-call-kindness\/","title":{"rendered":"Moral Relativism: The Tyranny We Call Kindness"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2><em>When Everything is Allowed, Nothing Works<\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"513\" height=\"264\" src=\"https:\/\/tidbitsofaudacity.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/orr-nad-india.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1212\" srcset=\"https:\/\/tidbitsofaudacity.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/orr-nad-india.png 513w, https:\/\/tidbitsofaudacity.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/orr-nad-india-300x154.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 513px) 100vw, 513px\" \/><figcaption>James Orr and Freya India<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>In Case You Missed It<\/em><\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-latest-posts__list wp-block-latest-posts\"><li><a class=\"wp-block-latest-posts__post-title\" href=\"https:\/\/tidbitsofaudacity.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/2026\/04\/28\/moral-relativism-the-tyranny-we-call-kindness\/\">Moral Relativism: The Tyranny We Call Kindness<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a class=\"wp-block-latest-posts__post-title\" href=\"https:\/\/tidbitsofaudacity.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/2026\/04\/21\/why-therapy-is-so-hard-for-men\/\">Why Therapy is So Hard For Men<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a class=\"wp-block-latest-posts__post-title\" href=\"https:\/\/tidbitsofaudacity.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/2026\/04\/14\/according-to-research-you-and-i-are-probably-wrong\/\">According to Research, You and I Are Probably Wrong<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a class=\"wp-block-latest-posts__post-title\" href=\"https:\/\/tidbitsofaudacity.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/2026\/04\/07\/the-diary-of-existing-beliefs\/\">The Diary of Existing Beliefs<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a class=\"wp-block-latest-posts__post-title\" href=\"https:\/\/tidbitsofaudacity.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/2026\/03\/10\/the-dirty-s-word\/\">The Dirty \u201cS\u201d Word<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><em>I recently watched a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/substack.com\/home\/post\/p-179905377\">podcast<\/a>&nbsp;where&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/open.substack.com\/users\/11694018-james-orr?utm_source=mentions\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">James Orr<\/a>&nbsp;discussed with&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/open.substack.com\/users\/20148231-freya-india?utm_source=mentions\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Freya India<\/a>&nbsp;the idea that therapy, and therapy culture, replaced morality. While I believe the current, overall culture of therapy is the location of toxicity in human behavior, which leads me to agree with their take, true therapy or counseling should operate from sound, objective realities, objective truths, and objective morality. The therapeutic endeavor itself isn\u2019t the problem, it\u2019s the improper application of it. When therapy abandons objective anchors, it stops being therapeutic and becomes permissive. It doesn\u2019t heal, it pathologizes. Having said that, the conversation struck a nerve in the realm of moral relativism.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p>Moral relativism didn\u2019t arrive like a catastrophe, it showed up like a shrug.&nbsp;<em>Do whatever works for you.<\/em>&nbsp;<em>It\u2019s your truth&nbsp;<\/em>(which doesn\u2019t exist)<em>.<\/em>&nbsp;We\u2019ve torn down shared moral boundaries and replaced them with personal preference, as if a society can survive on nothing but individual feelings. The psychological fallout is obvious. Confusion, anxiety, lack of direction, and a culture that can no longer tolerate discomfort without calling it trauma. It is the literal breeding ground for the epidemic of apathy we see in Gen Z.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Freya India said it bluntly,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.freyaindia.co.uk\/p\/we-need-moral-direction\">\u201cWhen everyone makes up their own morality, we end up in separate worlds.\u201d<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>That\u2019s exactly what this moment feels like. The inability to grip agreed upon values. How did we get there? By wanting the outcomes of moral discipline without the discipline itself. We want the fruits of sacrifice without the sacrifice. We want maturity without constraint. We bought the idea that anything which constrains destroys. The result is a generation that celebrates its&nbsp;<em>authenticity<\/em>&nbsp;but collapses under the slightest internal pressure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is what moral relativism produces. When everyone defines right and wrong according to personal preference, emotional comfort replaces morality. The fear of hurting someone\u2019s feelings now outweighs the obligation to speak truth. People stay silent, not because they\u2019ve thought deeply, but because they\u2019re terrified of being called judgmental. Once emotional safety becomes the highest value, every other value gets downgraded. Responsibility looks oppressive. Boundaries look abusive. Expectations look cruel. Freya said,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.freyaindia.co.uk\/p\/we-need-moral-direction\">\u201cWe have forgotten the word&nbsp;<\/a><em><a href=\"http:\/\/xn--we%20have%20forgotten%20the%20word%20morals%20and%20replaced%20it%20with%20boundaries-hd28c.\/\">morals<\/a><\/em><a href=\"http:\/\/xn--we%20have%20forgotten%20the%20word%20morals%20and%20replaced%20it%20with%20boundaries-hd28c.\/\">&nbsp;and replaced it with&nbsp;<\/a><em><a href=\"http:\/\/xn--we%20have%20forgotten%20the%20word%20morals%20and%20replaced%20it%20with%20boundaries-hd28c.\/\">boundaries<\/a><\/em><a href=\"http:\/\/xn--we%20have%20forgotten%20the%20word%20morals%20and%20replaced%20it%20with%20boundaries-hd28c.\/\">.\u201d<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h2>Limitations as Liberation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Jordan Peterson, for years, has been saying that we\u2019re being taught that all boundaries are tyranny. But a world with no boundaries isn\u2019t free, it\u2019s chaotic. Everyone understands this at the fundamental level. A child without boundaries becomes anxious. A marriage without boundaries falls apart. A society without boundaries dissolves into factions. And yet, somehow, we\u2019ve convinced ourselves that moral boundaries are uniquely dangerous, while pretending the psychological fallout doesn\u2019t exist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jonathan Haidt\u2019s research shows how this plays out. When \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecoddling.com\/\">safetyism<\/a>\u201d, or harm avoidance, becomes the highest moral priority, the definition of harm expands until anything can count. Expectations hurt. Standards hurt. Disagreement hurts. This inflated sense of fragility is exactly what we see now. We have a population that is both hyper-sensitive and chronically distressed. A terrible psychological combination. People can\u2019t tolerate discomfort, and they can\u2019t find stability. They\u2019re told to look to the self for their moral compass, but the self is what got them here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The symptoms are real. The rise in anxiety, the inability to commit, the paralysis around decision making, the hostility toward accountability. When nothing is objectively right or wrong, people don\u2019t become liberated, they become overwhelmed. Every choice becomes existential because there\u2019s no stable framework to lean on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Freya went on to acknowledge something powerful. Society loves celebrating the milestone of marriage. 25 years. 50 years. But hates acknowledging what built it. Sacrifice, grit, restraint, discipline. Those things require boundaries, and boundaries are incompatible with relativism. If&nbsp;<em>my values<\/em>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<em>your values<\/em>&nbsp;are all that exist, then no one is allowed to say that any set of behaviors is necessary for a stable relationship. So we glorify the outcome and denounce the process. It\u2019s delusional and dishonest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s the harsh truth. Boundaries don\u2019t suffocate us, they stabilize us. They give us a structure to push against so we can grow. They keep our impulses in check so we don\u2019t destroy ourselves. They give meaning to our commitments, weight to our promises, and direction to our choices. Remove them, and you don\u2019t get freedom, you get fog.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2>The Results<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>And fog is exactly what we\u2019re living in. A society that treats morality as personal preference will inevitably wonder why they feel so detached. Why kids are anxious. Why adults feel lost. Why relationships crumble. Why communities can\u2019t agree on anything. Why we\u2019re constantly offended yet never fulfilled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We don\u2019t have a cultural crisis of compassion, we have a crisis of clarity. People are starving for direction while being told that direction itself is oppressive. They\u2019re collapsing under the weight of&nbsp;<em>freedom<\/em>&nbsp;because freedom without structure is psychologically unbearable. It\u2019s too much choice without any grounding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2>Our Next Move<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>We need to stop pretending that moral relativism is harmless. It\u2019s not. It\u2019s a psychological toxin. It produces confused individuals and fragmented communities. It destroys resilience. It undermines accountability. It dissolves meaning. It rewards fragility and punishes strength.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We need to reclaim objective standards. Not because we want control, but because humans cannot function without them. Children need boundaries. Adults need responsibility. Communities need shared expectations. Society needs a common moral starting point, or it will tear itself apart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This doesn\u2019t mean returning to some rigid, nostalgic fantasy. It means recognizing the psychological truth that people thrive under clear structure and crumble under limitless freedom. Our greatest liberties are found&nbsp;<strong>inside&nbsp;<\/strong>boundaries, not outside them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We can keep pretending relativism works, or we can face reality. One path leads to stability, resilience, and meaning. The other leads exactly where we are now. Resentful, anxious, and foggy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s time to choose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Stay Classy GP!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Grainger<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When Everything is Allowed, Nothing Works In Case You Missed It: I recently watched a&nbsp;podcast&nbsp;where&nbsp;James Orr&nbsp;discussed with&nbsp;Freya India&nbsp;the idea that therapy, and therapy culture, replaced morality. While I believe the current, overall culture of therapy is the location of toxicity in human behavior, which leads me to agree with their take, true therapy or counseling &hellip; <\/p>\n<p class=\"link-more\"><a href=\"https:\/\/tidbitsofaudacity.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/2026\/04\/28\/moral-relativism-the-tyranny-we-call-kindness\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &#8220;Moral Relativism: The Tyranny We Call Kindness&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0},"categories":[72,12,4,5],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tidbitsofaudacity.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1211"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tidbitsofaudacity.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tidbitsofaudacity.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tidbitsofaudacity.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tidbitsofaudacity.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1211"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/tidbitsofaudacity.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1211\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1217,"href":"https:\/\/tidbitsofaudacity.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1211\/revisions\/1217"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tidbitsofaudacity.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1211"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tidbitsofaudacity.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1211"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tidbitsofaudacity.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1211"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}