one of the most powerful forces is the need to be self consistent
make one bad (or good!) decision and your brain _bends_ to align with it
laugh at an over-the-line joke and find yourself a little later defending the indefensible
we radicalise ourselves
This reminds me of when my grandma used to say that “little sins” add up and make you who you are. You tell one small lie of convenience today and what are you willing to lie about tomorrow?