Cleanliness Really Is Next to Godliness
New Scientist reports that washing one's body cleanses one's conscience.
It appears that an element of Lady Macbeth may reside in most of us. The metaphorical desire to wash away one’s sins is not just wishful thinking but evidence of an innate psychological association between moral and physical cleanliness, according to a new study.Shakespeare’s notorious murderess – who famously shouts “Out damn spot!” as she tries to scrub away imagined bloodstains – may represent an extreme case. Nevertheless, researchers found that study participants who focused on unethical behaviours such as lying, stealing, or betraying friends were more likely to follow up with activities that indicated they felt physically dirty.
The existence of "Sin Soap" suggests that the University of Toronto researchers who came to this conclusion arrived rather late in the game.
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