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← Back to blogIs the phrase “The good guys always win” innocent?
Your brain automatically learns the reverse, too.
This phrase, which we hear everywhere from children’s fairy tales to movie endings, carries a serious political risk at the intersection of linguistics and behavioral science.
#Relational Frame Theory (RFT) holds that when a statement is made, the brain automatically derives not only that statement but also its symmetrical counterpart, its opposite, and its connections (mutual entailment). So when someone says “the good guys win,” the mind silently forms another equation: “The winners are good.”
When this pattern combines with Lerner’s concept of “belief in a just world,” it becomes a cultural filter that legitimizes the status quo, blames victims, and makes it harder to question the morality of those in power. Storytelling systems such as Hollywood do this not through deliberate policy, but through repetition — over the years, the winner = morally right frame becomes internalized.
We see this in clinical practice: the thought “I deserved it” after trauma, schemas of worthlessness, and growing passivity in the face of social inequality. The way out is to recalibrate our language: separate outcomes from morality, use action-oriented language, and avoid getting fixated on how stories end. The statement “Kindness is an attitude worth trying” conveys the same hope on firmer ground.