The 7 Deadly Sins and the Psychological Reasoning Behind it

Condemning a sin has become our default reaction to the failings of human kind. We, by default, chastises those with flaw of character and punishes their failure in conforming to the all righteous law - showing no sense of empathy.

Perhaps we have forgotten that behind every act, there is always a reason.

We have simply forgotten that God, our creator, has forgiven our sins through the crucifixion of His only Son, Jesus Christ - the greatest sacrifice. Jesus took the sin of the world upon Himself and died for us all,

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

- John 3:16

Love's greatest justification, after all, is sacrifice. Our God so loved us that He sacrificed His Son, for the sake of our salvation - and if God loved us unconditionally despite our sins, why do we hate on the sins of others, when we are all sinners?

"In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace"

- Ephesians 1:17

If God can forgive the worst of our sins, why can't we? We are saved by His grace, and we are taught to forgive the same way God continuously forgive us. When one holds contempt and cling deeply into anger, how could one think to seek forgiveness from our Father?

Did God not tell us to love one another?

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone

will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

- John 13:34-35

Did He not tell us to forgive one another?

"For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do

not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins."

- Matthew 6:14-15

Did He not tell us not to seek revenge?

“You have heard the law that says the punishment must match the injury: ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a

tooth.' But I say, do not resist an evil person! If someone slaps you on the right cheek, offer the other cheek also. If you

are sued in court and your shirt is taken from you, give your coat, too. If a soldier demands that you carry his gear for a

mile, carry it two miles. Give to those who ask, and don’t turn away from those who want to borrow."

- Matthew 5:37-43

It seems to me that perhaps we have failed to do so because of the lack of understanding on why a person can commit such sins. Hence our minds are unable to line with the commands of our hearts, through the sole reason that our brain cannot reason the logical thought behind each of the performed sins.

It could be, that if our society grew to be aware of the psychological background of the seven deadly sins, we would be able to empathize - and instead of condemning the person at fault, we would be able to help resolve the underlying problem.

After all, the root cause of all errors in human behavior is caused by a deep emotional starvation of unmet needs, unfulfillment, insecurity and fear of imperfection.

Alain de Botton once again dissects the cause behind the errors of human behavior, this time decoding the psychological reasoning behind each of the seven deadly sins, teaching us to understand the logic behind our most regrettable moments.

In the study behind Why None of Us are Really 'Sinners', Alain de Botton uncovered the cognitive truth behind the seven deadly sins.

Quoted directly from the study:

Pride – It can appear as if we end up boasting and grandstanding because we’re so pleased with ourselves. Far from it. Boasting is only ever a response to a feeling of invisibility. We badly need to thrust forward an idea of our own importance because (behind the scenes) our very right to exist seems so much in question. We see it as almost inevitable that others will think ill of us – unless we urgently and dramatically assert our greatness. That is why, of all people, the proud don’t need to be told they are terrible; this is precisely what they secretly think they are already. They need encouragement to feel a more genuine pride in their own merits – so as to be spared the manic impulse constantly to call them to the attention of others.

Envy – Envy is a graceless way of confronting an idea that is, in other contexts, fundamental to decent ambition as well as modesty of character: the notion that we are incomplete, imperfect and in need of improvement. Envy grows from the legitimate insight that others have something to teach us – mixed together with a degree of inaccuracy and panic about what this might actually be. Envy should, ideally, be our teacher. We should note when it strikes us, sift through its confused signals and use them to work out our direction and purpose. The solution isn’t to be made to feel guilty for our envious attacks. It is to be helped to understand what is truly missing from our lives.

Wrath – The mean angry things we say when we’re upset are almost never truly meant. They are the result of panic and anxiety. We call someone a stupid fool because we are, that moment, terrified. We shout because we feel we’re fighting for our lives. Therefore, instead of being repeatedly told how appalling it is to be angry (we of course know this quite well already), what we need is someone to demonstrate a proper understanding of our underlying fears. ‘You must be scared’ is the kindest but also the most effective response to any angry outburst; it puts its finger on what is really going on. We need others to appreciate our fragility, not berate us for our roars.

Gluttony – We eat too many chicken wings and toasted sandwiches not because we’re greedy, but because we are emotionally starving. We want love far more than we want calories; we’re just at a loss as to how to find it. So the solution isn’t to be told to eat less (as diet gurus and Christian theologians suggest); it is to be helped to discover new sources of kindness, security and emotional connection. Our appetite isn’t essentially bad – it simply hasn’t found its ideal target. Our excess weight is a symbol of our background emotional undernourishment.

Lust – We want to keep jumping into bed with people not out of degeneracy, but because we are lonely. Sex is the epitome of connection and acceptance. The so-called ‘bad’ and erotic things we crave feel so exciting because we read them as proofs of someone else’s open-ended affection, which is in such short supply in ordinary life. Ideally we’d not be less lustful, we’d be clearer about what we genuinely need from sex: which is acceptance of our messy, complex and all-too-human selves.

Sloth – Laziness is really fear. We can’t bear to get down to our work, because if we were to apply ourselves, we risk terrifying humiliation. We might not succeed as well as we’d like, we might find a task too hard, we may realise we’re not yet equipped to undertake it or be mocked by the world. These aren’t failings so much as hugely understandable anxieties. Behind our inaction is anticipated disaster; a catastrophizing mind. We will begin at last when the fear of doing nothing at all trumps the crippling fear of doing something badly.

Greed – The powerful urge to take more than our fair share is really a reaction to a feeling of deprivation; we’ve felt so neglected and vulnerable, we require ever more. Our fear is so entrenched, we’re trying to keep it at bay by grabbing as much as we can, as quickly as possible. To others, we may make look already advantaged and privileged; inside we just feel desperate.

Perhaps through this rational understanding, our minds would be able to reason the causes behind the immoral actions of human kind - and perhaps, we would be able to empathize, and hereafter, forgive.