Human beings are not born as a “blank slate.” From the beginning of life, people already possess a basic moral framework that continues to develop through environmental influences, culture, experience, and learning.
This topic was explored in the latest episode of Obrolan Psikologi (OPSI), a psychology talk show jointly produced by the Faculty of Psychology at Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) and TVRI Yogyakarta, on Tuesday (21 July). Hosted by Sekarayu Puspita, the tenth episode featured UGM Faculty of Psychology lecturer Samudera Fadlilla Jamaluddin, S.Psi., M.Sc., who discussed the psychological processes underlying human morality.
Human morality is far from simple. Instead, it is shaped by a range of complex psychological processes.
When people make moral decisions, emotions and reasoning operate simultaneously. However, in many situations, emotions arise first, while logical reasoning follows as a way of explaining a decision that has already been made.
A person’s behaviour does not always fully reflect their character. Pressure from the surrounding environment, social groups, or authority figures may lead people to act against the values they genuinely hold. Human behaviour must therefore be understood within the context in which it occurs.
“Morality is universal, but it also varies. It is universal in the sense that human beings possess moral foundations that are universal in nature. What differs is the emphasis placed on each foundation,” Samudera explained.
Moral values such as fairness, liberty, loyalty, and respect for authority can be found in almost every society. The main difference lies not in which values people hold, but in which values they prioritise. These differences in emphasis often become a source of conflict, particularly when each side views its own values as unquestionably right and non-negotiable.
This dynamic becomes even more apparent in digital spaces. Anonymity, physical distance, and features such as likes and dislikes can reduce people’s sense of personal responsibility for their reactions, effectively weakening the moral “brakes” that usually operate during face-to-face interactions.
As a result, people may be quicker to judge, join collective attacks, or participate in cancel culture—the withdrawal of support from an individual—without fully understanding the context behind an action or statement.
“Instead of trying to prove that we are right, it would be better to broaden our perspective and look for a middle ground,” Samudera said.
Dialogue becomes especially important because it can reveal the reasoning and values underlying another person’s perspective. Its purpose is not to determine who wins or loses, but to create common ground so that differences do not develop into actions that harm others.
“The primary function of morality is to enable human beings to collaborate and cooperate with one another without causing harm,” Samudera concluded.
From emotions that precede reasoning and differences in moral priorities to the weakening of moral restraint on social media, these dynamics ultimately point to the same principle: morality is not a tool for proving who is most right, but a way for people to learn how to coexist without harming one another.
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Writer: Arrasya Aninggadhira
Editor: Erna Tri Nofiyana