What Is Moral Fiber?

Moral fiber is an American idiom with connotations that have shifted over time. The standard dictionary definition of moral fiber is "strength of character, firmness of purpose, resolution or toughness of spirit." However, as the idea of morality itself varies greatly from person to person, the validity of any usage of the term "moral fiber" is inherently and continually up for debate.

Moral Fiber and Conservatism

One of moral fiber's strongest connotations is that of a traditional American value set, in which hard work and Christian morality are emphasized. In a 1987 Washington Post article, a Marine Corps general named Paul Xavier Kelley decries the outlawing of student prayer in schools; Kelley says such things "weaken the moral fiber of American youth."

Traditional Values

However, this same idea of moral fiber being tied to conservative American values also often brings other prescriptions about society into the picture. Kelley is quoted again in the article as saying that working mothers who send their children to "faceless" child-care centers, rather than staying home to take care of their families, are weakening the moral fiber of the nation. In this statement, it becomes obvious that for some Americans, moral fiber is strictly tied to the conservative, 1950s-era idea of the nuclear American family.

A Comedian's Response

Stephen Colbert, a comic actor known for his deadpan portrayal of a conservative alter ego on his show "The Colbert Report," repeatedly has poked fun at the idea of moral fiber as used in conservative America. On his "Wikiality: The Truthiness Encyclopedia" website, he defines moral fiber as "a strong, truthy strength that is found in True Americans. A person with moral fiber can stand up to anything the liberals of the world can throw at them. People with moral fiber are always Christians and Republicans. They oppose gay marriage, abortion, peace and high taxes."

More Pop Culture

In the 2004 movie "The Girl Next Door," one character defines moral fiber in a way that shows the term's degeneration. He says, "Now I think moral fiber's about finding that one thing you really care about. That one special thing that means more to you than anything else in the world. And when you find her, you fight for her... And maybe the stuff you do... isn't so clean. You know what? It doesn't matter. Because in your heart you know that the juice is worth the squeeze. That's what moral fiber's all about." In this pop culture definition, moral fiber means nothing more than having a goal and being willing to sacrifice anything for it: the goal itself does not matter.

Core Meaning

The term "moral fiber" is most clearly and non-controversially applicable to instances in which people show virtue that can be appreciated universally, regardless of political or religious orientation. In the news, moral fiber is used to describe those who act as whistleblowers on corruption, or people who intervene for the good of strangers. Moral fiber connotes strength, and as such is the term describing the actions of the men who attacked the 9/11 hijackers on Flight 93. This meaning is the core of the term "moral fiber" and cannot easily be misused.

References

• "Top Marine Sees U.S. Losing Moral Fiber"; Washington Post; 1987.
• "The Girl Next Door" on IMDB
• Moral Fiber: Wikiality, the Truthiness Encyclopedia