The Macbeth Effect

Guilty consciences, according to numerous studies,seek hygienic hands.

We all know that the first defense against that summer cold or some other funky disease involves keeping your hands clean.

You might even be one of those preachers who keeps a little bottle of hand sanitizer tucked in your robe, suit or khakis for freshening up before communion or to rub down your paws after shaking hands at the door after worship with sneezing parishioners and runny-nosed Sunday school students.

While that might be one practical form of holy hygiene, new studies have shown that the connection between cleanliness and godliness goes way deeper than having everyone keep their germs to themselves. Dirty hands, in fact, seem to correlate with a dirty soul.

Researchers Chen-Bo Zhong of the University of Toronto and Katie Liljenquist of Northwestern University define it as the “Macbeth Effect” after the famous scene in Shakespeare’s play where Lady Macbeth obsesses over washing her hands after committing cold-blooded murder. Guilty consciences, it...