The Happiness Project

A chronicle of my attempts to test-drive every tip, principle and scientific study that promotes happiness.

by Gretchen Rubin

Do You Buy Green? Refrain from Nagging? Embody Virtue? Better Watch Yourself!

By Gretchen Rubin on April 10, 2010 in The Happiness Project

One interesting aspect of human nature is our tendency to pat ourselves on the back for being good, and then turn around and do something bad.

This kind of behavior may be caused by the belief that you’re so righteous, the ordinary rules shouldn’t apply to you, or that because you’ve done the right thing in one area, you’ve earned the right to ease up on yourself. Read More

Note the Source of Green Behaviors

Submitted by Doris Jeanette, Psy.D. on April 10, 2010 - 12:42pm.

This is exactly the reason research can confuse rather than enlighten.

People who do things because they "should" are very different from people who do things because they want to. People who do things out of guilt, which is a conditioned response, are very different from people who do what they want to do.

Many people are reducing their carbon prints now because it is the cool, correct thing to do. These companies and people are not the same as those of us who have been green since we were born. When you do what you do out of love for your children, self or planet, there will not be any acting out behaviors.

Acting out only occurs when you are operating out of guilt instead of an open heart.