The Upsides of Sinning

Be a Glutton

Take as much as you want, because gluttony might also make us less likely to discriminate. During one of his studies, Mathew Gaillot found that participants who consumed as much sugary drink as they wanted were less likely to rely on stereotypes to describe a person's daily routine than those who hadn't imbibed any glucose at all.

Actually, Greed Is Good

As long as greed isn't indulged in excess, (but the idea of greed is excess? No?) it can drive us to perform better, persist, and even be more patient. Laham cites several studies by Kathleen Vohs to prove this point: In one social interaction experiment, participants who had been primed to think about acquiring money felt less hurt after being excluded than those who were primed to focus on something monetarily neutral (blank pieces of paper, if you must know). Another study found that money-primed participants were more willing to struggle through a difficult task (or wait longer before they asked for assistance) than those who weren't seeing dollar signs in their mind's eye. For good measure, Laham does cite the research explaining how getting paid for something you love may actually make you like it less—and kill your work ethic.

Take It Easy

Feel free to clock out at any time during this review. Sloth comes with a number of positive side effects. (Note to historians: Laham does clarify that “sloth” wasn't on the original list of seven deadlies. “Acedia,” Latin for spiritual malaise, held it's original place.) Among other studies, Laham points to the value of unconscious thought processes that can help us make better decisions without the interference of an overly deliberating prefrontal control center. Checking out, napping on it, and taking five—or 55—can help us be more creative, reorganize our neurons, and solve problems more effectively as our brains transition to an offline processing mode conducive.

Honor Thy Anger

Better yet, get angry about it. As long as you don't lash out violently, anger can help you get ahead. Laham looks at a number of studies (from Mario Mikulincer to Charles S. Carver and Eddie Harmon-Jones) that demonstrate how anger is one of our strongest motivators. Being righteously pissed galvanizes us to approach, rather than cower from, a person or situation, and it pushes us in the direction of seeking reward.

Green Eyes

And while you're at it, try comparing yourself to someone with the qualities you lack. While not always pleasant, Laham notes that envy can inspire us and make us more creative. In a study by Camille Johnson, students who read descriptions of socially and intellectually superior peers came up with far more ideas about creative alternative uses for a brick (you may not want to know all of them) than students who had no description to compare themselves against, or compete with. As Laham explains, as long as the object of envy's assets are within your own reach (read: attainable), desiring what someone else has and seeking to get ahead of him can give you a leg up.

With Pride

Few people would admit to wanting to be called narcissistic, but a little selfishness isn't as sinful as it may seem. For one thing, pumping up your own self-image may make you perform better. In one study, participants who were praised for their talent and smarts persisted in a challenging mental task (3-D rotation) about seven minutes longer than participants who had received no such ego-stroking. Plus, people who act more prideful actually seem to be more liked, at least according to a study by psychologist Jessica Tracy.

Laham's glib, tongue-in-cheek humor and accessible language effectively casts doubt on what many of us may have taken for granted our whole lives: that "sinning" is bad. Even if you don't agree with his premise—that each vice carries a silver lining—Laham humorously illustrates his points and leaves you sinfully surprised. So go ahead, indulge in The Science of Sin.