Devaluing victims as weak targets suppresses guilt in wrongdoers.

Evidence

What was conspicuously absent in Keating’s self-reactions was concern for those he harmed—many of them elderly who lost their life savings—or guilt over his injurious actions. The lack of empathy and remorse comes as no surprise, considering the low regard he had for his unwitting clients. In a memo he advised bond salesmen, “And always remember the weak, meek, and ignorant are always good targets” (McFadden, 2014). Maltreating those who are devalued does not rouse much guilt. — Albert Bandura, Moral Disengagement, 1411

Categorization

• XREF: Directly instantiates the attribution-of-blame and dehumanization pillars of Bandura’s moral disengagement theory from earlier chapters. — connects to: Privileged innocence is purchased at the cost of others’ suffering — Rolf Wiggershaus, The Frankfurt School: Its History,…, 167; Committing morally ambiguous acts leads actors to derogate victims — John T. Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology: Key Readings, 3961; Sympathy and moral outrage mobilize reparative action better than guilt does — Nyla R. Branscombe and Bertjan Doosje (eds.), Collective Guilt: International…, 1752 (+7 more)