"Anytime there is a struggle between doing what is actually right and doing what seems right, then your ego is interfering with your decision"
About this Quote
Darren L. Johnson is trying to puncture a very modern illusion: that our moral compass is mostly a matter of “following your gut.” He draws a hard line between doing what is actually right and doing what seems right, and then names the culprit behind that gap: ego. The move is strategic. “Seems right” isn’t framed as evil; it’s framed as seductive, socially legible, and self-protective. It’s the version of rightness that photographs well.
The intent is diagnostic, almost therapeutic. Johnson isn’t offering a rulebook for ethics so much as a tell for when your internal process has been hijacked. Ego here functions less as vanity than as identity-management: the part of you that wants to be seen as good, consistent, loyal, brave, or “not that kind of person.” When a decision becomes a referendum on who you are rather than what the situation demands, the quote argues, you start picking actions that preserve the story you tell about yourself.
The subtext is a critique of performative morality. “Seems right” gestures toward virtue-signaling, optics-driven leadership, and public-facing decency that collapses under private scrutiny. It also quietly warns against moral shortcuts: if you’re too certain, too righteous, too eager to be applauded for your principles, that confidence might be the interference.
Contextually, this lands in a culture saturated with personal branding and instantaneous judgment, where being perceived as ethical can matter more than being ethical. Johnson’s punchline is uncomfortable on purpose: the moment you feel morally righteous may be the moment you should interrogate your motives most.
The intent is diagnostic, almost therapeutic. Johnson isn’t offering a rulebook for ethics so much as a tell for when your internal process has been hijacked. Ego here functions less as vanity than as identity-management: the part of you that wants to be seen as good, consistent, loyal, brave, or “not that kind of person.” When a decision becomes a referendum on who you are rather than what the situation demands, the quote argues, you start picking actions that preserve the story you tell about yourself.
The subtext is a critique of performative morality. “Seems right” gestures toward virtue-signaling, optics-driven leadership, and public-facing decency that collapses under private scrutiny. It also quietly warns against moral shortcuts: if you’re too certain, too righteous, too eager to be applauded for your principles, that confidence might be the interference.
Contextually, this lands in a culture saturated with personal branding and instantaneous judgment, where being perceived as ethical can matter more than being ethical. Johnson’s punchline is uncomfortable on purpose: the moment you feel morally righteous may be the moment you should interrogate your motives most.
Quote Details
| Topic | Ethics & Morality |
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