Bruno Bettelheim in his study, The Uses of Enchantment, suggested that folk and fairytales that endure from generation to generation, speak to something deep in the reader's unconscious – for instance, that these older tales legitimised the murderous and violent instincts that all children experience, freeing them from the guilt that such feelings generate.
And I think her suggestion that we collectively consider as a nation the response and, in particular, the way in which things were said, the sorts of views and personal attacks that became legitimised, we should think about whether that is what we want for our national politics.
As South Yorkshire police itself has stated that Wright led the operation directly from the top, it may have established and legitimised a criminal culture of fabricating evidence within the force.
One culprit, Arfi said, is the controversial comedian Dieudonné: "He has legitimised it.
The government claims that last year's elections, when Fidesz gained slightly over 50% of the vote (but owing to the peculiarities of the electoral system many more parliamentary seats), was a "revolution at the ballot box" which legitimised a new "system of national co-operation".
What of Paris Aristotle and Robert Manne, who legitimised the offshore hellholes on Manus Island and Nauru, even though they oppose Scott Morrison's harsh methods?
On the other hand, letting him run would have further legitimised him as a politician.
As often as not, government merely legitimised the dilution of class barriers that happened rapidly after 1960.It is tempting to argue, as a result, that the British obsession with class no longer reflects reality.
One reason is his electoral success, which has partly legitimised the palace coup in which he pushed aside his colleague, Enrico Letta, despite a soothing Twitter hashtag #enricostaisereno (#enricodontworry).
Another constitutional change the Thaksinites want to undo is one that legitimised all the coupmakers' actions including the creation of a powerful panel to investigate corruption allegations against Mr Thaksin.
But to register Mr Kasyanov would have given him free access to television and, more damagingly, could have legitimised him as a genuine liberal opponent.
