Have you ever noticed how breaking barriers doesn’t always lead to lasting change? So, I was listening to Malcolm Gladwell’s “Revisionist History” podcast where he explores the fascinating story of Elizabeth Thompson, a 19th-century artist whose breaking of the glass ceiling (so to speak) reveals an uncomfortable truth about human nature.

The Triumph That Wasn’t

So it’s basically this: 1874 London. The art world is completely dominated by men – women can’t even study fine art. Then along comes Elizabeth Thompson with her painting “The Roll Call,” depicting exhausted British soldiers after battle. It’s revolutionary, hung in the most prestigious spot at the Royal Academy, and creates a sensation. Crowds flock to see it. Queen Victoria buys it. Thompson seems destined to break into the all-male Royal Academy.

She comes within two votes of election. Everyone thinks: “Next time, she’s a lock.”

But there is no next time. Her subsequent paintings get shoved into dark corners. The Academy passes new rules to limit women’s privileges. And here’s the kicker – no woman would be elected to the Royal Academy until 1936, more than 50 years later.

Enter Moral Licensing

This is where things get psychologically interesting. Moral licensing is the phenomenon where doing something good gives us permission to later do something bad, or more accurately, continue with the status quo of discrimination that exists – because we’ve already proven we’re progressive by doing the good thing. It’s like our brain keeps a moral ledger: “I hung that woman’s painting prominently, so now I can go back to excluding women guilt-free.”

Think about it – the Academy members could pat themselves on the back for being so progressive while simultaneously slamming the door shut on other women. They’d proven they weren’t sexist, right? Look at how they celebrated Thompson! Now they could return to business as usual.

The Pattern Repeats

Gladwell connects this to Julia Gillard, Australia’s first female Prime Minister (2010-2013). After her historic election, you’d expect the novelty to wear off and gender to become irrelevant. Instead, the opposite happened. The attacks got more vicious, more personal, more gendered. Why? Because Australia had proven its progressive credentials by electing a woman – now they could unleash their underlying biases without feeling hypocritical.

The list of countries that elected one woman leader and then never another is depressingly long: Brazil, UK, Germany, Canada, Turkey, Pakistan, and many more.

Marketing and Tech Examples

This pattern shows up everywhere in business:

The Diversity Hire Problem: Companies hire one person from an underrepresented group, celebrate their inclusivity, then feel they’ve “checked the box” and don’t need to hire more diverse candidates. They’ve proven they’re not biased, so they can return to hiring people who “fit the culture.”

The Token Female Executive: Tech companies promote one woman to a visible leadership role, get great PR about breaking glass ceilings, then watch as she faces increased scrutiny and criticism. Meanwhile, they feel no pressure to promote other women because they’ve already proven they’re progressive.

The Sustainability Smokescreen: Companies launch one high-profile green initiative, market it heavily, then feel licensed to continue environmentally harmful practices elsewhere. They’ve shown they care about the planet, so they can be less careful about their carbon footprint in other areas.

The “We Support Small Business” Campaign: Big corporations partner with a few small vendors for PR purposes, then feel justified in continuing practices that hurt small businesses overall. They’ve proven they’re not corporate bullies, right?

An Insidious Unconscious Bias

Moral Licensing is not conscious, and the scariest part? Research shows that people who publicly support progressive causes can actually become more likely to express biased views afterward. Supporting Barack Obama didn’t make some people more racially progressive – it gave them licence to be more racist because they’d proven they weren’t bigoted.

What This Means for Real Progress

Understanding moral licensing helps explain why breakthrough moments don’t always lead to lasting change. The door opens for one person, everyone celebrates, and then it quietly closes again. The pioneers bear the brunt of both breaking through and dealing with the backlash that follows.

Real progress isn’t about celebrating individual breakthroughs – it’s about changing systems. It’s about asking not “Did we let one woman in?” but “Are we consistently creating opportunities for all women?” Not “Did we hire one diverse candidate?” but “Are our hiring practices fundamentally fair?”

The next time you hear about a barrier-breaking achievement, celebrate it. But then ask: What systems need to change to make this normal rather than exceptional? Because if we’re not careful, that historic breakthrough might just be giving everyone permission to go back to the way things were.

What examples of moral licensing have you seen? The pattern is everywhere once you start looking for it.