"People, for the sake of their security and ability to plan for the future, need to believe they live in an essentially "just" world where they can get what they deserve, at least in the long run. It was further reasoned that being confronted with innocent victims of undeserved suffering poses a threat to that fundamental belief, and as a consequence, people naturally develop and employ ways of defending it. This may involve acting to eliminate injustices. But failing that, by blaming, rejecting, or avoiding the victim, or having faith that the victim will eventually be appropriately compensated, people are able to maintain their confidence in the justness of the world in which they must live and work for their future security."
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Academics from the United StatesPsychologists from the United StatesJews from the United StatesUniversity of California, Berkeley facultySocial scientists from the United States
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Melvin J. Lerner
Melvin J. Lerner (born 1929) was Professor of Social Psychology at the University of Waterloo between 1970 and 1994 and is now a visiting scholar at Florida Atlantic University.
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