Morally speaking, the temptation is not just to take the path of least resistance but to convince ourselves that the path of least resistance is the righteous path. As we continue to undermine our own sense of agency, our moral comprehension diminishes bit by bit. Because of this dynamic—or, as Kierkegaard might say, “dialectic”—we older folks sometimes look condescendingly at young people, thinking and perhaps muttering, “You’re full of idealism, but in time you will learn.” Learn what? How to shut down? That when you learn what life is all about you will darken your moral understanding by
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