"Indeed, compulsive and rigid moralism arises in given persons precisely as the result of a lack of sense of being. Rigid moralism is a compensatory mechanism by which the individual persuades himself to take over the external sanctions because he has no fundamental assurance that his own choices have any sanction of their own"

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Source: Rollo May (1994). “Existence”, p.45, Jason Aronson

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Rollo May

Psychologist, Author

Rollo May was an influential American existential psychologist known for his works on love, creativity, and the human condition.

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