Many people intuitively believe that the world is fundamentally fair: that good things happen to good people, and bad things happen to those who deserve them. This idea is known as the just-world myth – a belief in which people assume that actions will have morally fair and fitting consequences, and that people get what they deserve.
The Appeal and the Limits of the Just World Myth
The Appeal of a Just World Belief
Believing that the world is fair can offer a sense of comfort. This belief gives us a feeling of order, predictability, and control over our lives. When life appears to be just, it’s easier to make plans for the future with the expectation that our efforts will result in positive outcomes. Trusting that the world operates fairly can make us feel more secure in our decisions and actions.
Challenges to the Just World Assumption
Despite its comforting nature, the belief that life is always fair and predictable is not always accurate. This assumption is often challenged in everyday situations, such as when carefully laid plans fall apart or opportunities fail to materialise as expected. It can be especially difficult when people face major life changes, like the end of a relationship, and find themselves questioning what they did to “deserve” such outcomes. When misfortune occurs without an obvious cause, the belief in a just world can quickly unravel, leaving us to confront the unpredictable nature of life.
How Trauma Disrupts This Belief
Traumatic events such as violence, abuse and life threatening accidents can feel deeply unfair and out of our control. In Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), an evidence-based treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the just world myth is recognised as a common thinking pattern that can keep people stuck in PTSD (See https://ccp.net.au/services/about-cpt-for-ptsd/ for more information on CPT).
After trauma, many people find themselves thinking, “If I were stronger, this wouldn’t have happened,” or “I must have done something wrong to deserve this”. These beliefs are rooted in the just world myth because they reflect an effort to preserve the idea that the world is fair by assuming the event must have occurred for a reason, or must be controllable. Thoughts such as those outlined above can be an attempt to make sense of what happened, but they often lead to ongoing self-blame, guilt, and shame, key factors that maintain PTSD symptoms (Holliday et al., 2018; LoSavio et al., 2017).
How CPT Helps
CPT supports people to examine these beliefs and develop a more balanced perspective. Rather than suggesting the world is entirely unfair, CPT helps people explore these beliefs and disentangle personal responsibility from factors that were outside their control. Shifting away from the just world myth can reduce self-blame and support recovery.
Take the Next Step
If you’re struggling with trauma-related thoughts or symptoms of PTSD, one of our psychologists can help.
To book an appointment at the Centre for Clinical Psychology, call (03) 9077 0122 or book online at www.ccp.net.au.
References
Holliday, R., Holder, N., & Surís, A. (2018). Reductions in self-blame cognitions predict PTSD improvements with cognitive processing therapy for military sexual trauma-related PTSD. Psychiatry Research, 263, 181-184.LoSavio, S. T., Dillon, K. H., & Resick, P. A. (2017). Cognitive factors in the development, maintenance, and treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder. Current opinion in psychology, 14, 18-22.
