leniency
noun

- treatment in which someone is punished or judged less strongly or severely than would be expected

Cambridge Dictionary

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ORIGIN

Lenient is a word with a soothing history. It derives from the Latin verb lenire, meaning “to soothe” or “to soften” (itself from lenis, meaning “soft or mild”).

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THE NON-RATIONAL HUNGRY JUDGE

Research, which examined judicial rulings by Israeli judges who presided over parole hearings in criminal cases, found that judges gave more LENIENT decisions at the start of the day and immediately after a scheduled break in court proceedings such as lunch.*

Maybe there’s also a lesson here for the scheduling of telcos and meetings. Participants may be better humoured and more compliant after breakfast, lunch, or coffee breaks, than at other times of day.

What do you think?

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SYNONYMS

clemency, mercy, compassion, moderation, tolerance, charity, mildness, gentleness, mercifulness, benevolence, forgiveness, humanity, kindness, lack of severity, beneficence, magnanimity, caritas, tender-heartedness, humanitarianism, fellow feeling

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*For more info, check out: Judgment and Decision Making, Vol. 11, No. 6, November 2016, pp. 601-610, The irrational hungry judge effect revisited by Andreas Glöckner

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Paul Smith