Justification

Everyone has a story they tell themselves. A story that explains it all, that justifies it. Why it was the right thing to do. Why it made sense at the time. Why you are a good person.

"It was just a little white lie." "I didn't want to hurt his feelings." "She wanted it." "They've got so much, they'll never miss it." "He was asking for it." "It wasn't part of the contract." "Insurance will cover it." "I didn't know."

Everyone is the protagonist in their own story.

And I just want to know, what is yours?

Addendum

More stories I can barely imagine justifying.

These are things so alien to my experience that part of me feels like they can't even be real. But not only are they, but at various points in history around the world, things very similar to them were considered ... reasonable. Maybe still are. D: