How going green may make you mean

[The_Godfather]

Ethical consumers less likely to be kind and more likely to steal, study finds

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environmen...ly-steal/print

Do Green Products Make Us Better People is published in the latest edition of the journal Psychological Science. Its authors, Canadian psychologists Nina Mazar and Chen-Bo Zhong, argue that people who wear what they call the "halo of green consumerism" are less likely to be kind to others, and more likely to cheat and steal. "Virtuous acts can license subsequent asocial and unethical behaviours," they write.

I thought this was interesting enough to share with everyone. Your thoughts on it?

[Kosher Ham]

I call BS. (regarding theft and such)

I am not a "green" person, but obnoxious might be a better term than mean for these people.

[ixcuincle]

You may get smug by going green.

[GibbsFactor]

Ethical consumers more likely to steal.

LOVE IT!

[The_Godfather]

You may get smug by going green.

I forgot about that episode. That was hilarious!

[Predicto]

I suspect that this is true, and I also suspect that it has nothing to do with environmentalism.

Instead, this phenenomen likely applies to all "look, I'm doing good" behavior, including religious things, charity things, and so on.

[GhostofSparta]

I suspect that this is true, and I also suspect that it has nothing to do with environmentalism.

Instead, this phenenomen likely applies to all "look, I'm doing good" behavior, including religious things, charity things, and so on.

That's what I was thinking. It's probably the same type of people that would do something like collecting money for Haiti (from work, the internet, whatever means) and keep 20% or so for themselves with the justification that "Well at least I'm still doing SOME good, so who am I really hurting?" After all, the Catholic church didn't invent the idea of buying indulgences, they only perfected it for a short time.

[LaxBuddy21]

I knew the hippies were evil! This just proves it...ha

Seriously, it probably is along the lines of what Predicto says. People are good at doing things publicly to look good so they think they can act like jerks when no one is looking. Its a high and mighty kind of thing. Lots of smug floating around not just from hybrid cars. Next time someone lectures me about the environment and what I am doing to save the environment, I just feel like telling them well Im working to cure cancer so beat that hippie! ha