The notion of irrationally conservative decision-making

The notion of irrationally conservative decision-making causes me to think of Jane Austin's novel, "The Age of Innocence," which highlights the repressive quality of the Victorian Age and the dichotomy between how one actually thinks and feels and how one wants to be perceived by society. The hypocrisy of the Victorian Era is famously explored in Robert Louis Stevenson's Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde, a story that explores mankind's lashing out against a repressive culture in the form of committing forbidden, scandalous, criminal acts. The tale illuminates the destructive nature of a society that is not honest with the baser instincts of human nature and enforces unnatural limitations on what should be considered acceptable behavior. In Christianity, pride is considered the greatest sin--to consider oneself beyond reproach--the notion of evil hiding in the light. Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter explores this theme as well, wherein Chillingworth commits crimes against humanity while presuming to be upholding the moral values of his community.