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2021: Creating a Lexicon of Future

J is for Justify

Ruth Glendinning
2 min readNov 16, 2021

The definition of justify is to provide an explanation or rationale for something to make it seem OK or to prove it is correct or OK. ~ Your Dictionary, Justify

The Slippery Slope of Justification

Justification is a slippery slope that will drag you downhill fast if you allow yourself to engage in it. Just think about it, the entire purpose of justification is to try and make some that is just plain wrong appear to actually be right. It’s an attitude that the ends justifies the means — but it doesn’t. Because wrong is wrong. Period. Full stop.

Slipping into justification is something you actually have to be vigilant to guard against because it is all too tempting and easy to let yourself go there if you don’t stay on lookout when opportunities arise. A few indicators you or someone else is getting sucked in would be thoughts or statements like:

“They started it…”

“Other people are doing it …”

“Yeah but did you see what they did? It was way worse…”

“I was just trying to illustrate how bad this other person actually is…”

In their minds they have fooled themselves into believing: “My intent was to do something good therefore it justified me doing something bad to get there.” And once they have convinced themselves of that statement they have already started sliding rapidly down the hill…. ~ Justification is a Slippery Slope

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Ruth Glendinning
Ruth Glendinning

Written by Ruth Glendinning

Community Architect // Published Poet // Future Story Lab // Anti-Fragile Playbook // S.L.O.W. Tech // #womenswork Buy my book! https://a.co/d/5MG47Di

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