The evolution of moral outrage

Do you have a sweet tooth? Do you struggle to resist the siren call of a chocolate fudge brownie or the allure of a bag of boiled sweets? Don’t blame yourself. Blame evolution. That’s what I do.

I have a lifetime of experience grappling with my sweet tooth. I spent a substantial proportion of my childhood concocting devious ways to acquire, conceal, and consume sugar away from the eyes of my health-conscious mother. I stashed chocolate bars in the lining of my school bag. I hid doughnuts in my clothing until they could be devoured out of sight. I even kept a cache of sweets hidden behind my wardrobe.

Meanwhile, my mother would tut at television commercials promoting sugary drinks and chocolatey breakfast cereals, instead serving oatmeal (i.e. gruel) or muesli soaked in sour yoghurt (i.e. sludge). Myself, I was partial