Blustery Morality

Do your morals shift with the changing seasons? A recent PNAS study found that we embody “binding values” (moral values that encourage social cohesion) like purity, loyalty, and respect for authority more strongly in spring and fall than in summer and winter. Additionally, people report higher anxiety in spring and fall. Researchers hypothesize that this higher anxiety might contribute to people clinging more tightly to morals that promote friendships and traditions, since these things help us feel safer.

Though culture’s moods, opinions, circumstances, and even moral compasses are constantly shifting, God’s character and attributes remain unchanging. His Word ultimately defines morality for all times—no matter the season.