Tweet Suggests That The "Shopping Cart Test" Is An Accurate Way To Know If A Person Is Good Or Bad

It's a great way to determine whether a person is a good or bad member of society.

Ayoub

• Published in Interesting
• May 24, 2020

Trying to determine whether a person is good or not is not an easy thing to do. There are multiple tests out there but they're not always 100% accurate. One of them has been currently floating around Twitter and a lot of people found it quite interesting.

The test seemingly originated in 4chan and quickly went viral after Twitter user @ANTICHRISTJARED tweeted about it. The theory basically focuses on something we rarely pay attention to, which is returning a shopping cart to its designated place once you have finished shopping. It's a simple concept that can tell you a lot about a person.

Jared's original Tweet:

The replies at the end of the thread were pretty mixed. Everyone agreed that returning the shopping cart is the right thing to do, but some people refused the idea of using it as an indication to determine whether a person is good or not. Some of the people who replied are former retail employees, who had a lot to say about this particular subject.

Tati Silva, a psychotherapist and counselor, admitted that The Shopping Cart Theory has some compelling arguments.

“It goes back to character and personality, both used to describe someone’s behavior,” Silva told Bored Panda. “Personality is shaped by one’s heredity and environment in which they were exposed, easy to ready (Lickeman, 2011). As for one’s character like honesty, virtue, and kindliness. They are revealed over time, through various situations.”

“Characters are heavily influenced by the different situations we engage in. Therefore, if you choose not to take the shopping cart back it will expose your character,” Silva explained. “Because there is not a law that prohibits it or says that is wrong. The behavior will continue because it is the individual that needs to determine what is right or wrong, bad or good because — again — there aren’t any social norms or rules that specify this behavior might be considered inappropriate.”

Silva also believes that other behaviors can also be included in this theory, such as throwing garbage, gum, cigarette butts on the floor. Not holding the door for others or laughing when people fall can also be good indicators.

“That might reveal your moral character. One might do it without being aware of it because it is engraved in their habit. However, that can be changed by expanding self-awareness. It is likely the first step in gaining control over any behavior you wish to change. “

Researchers use similar dilemmas to identify psychopathic traits since they can offer an in-depth understanding of people's judgment. For instance, in one particular study, participants were asked by a team of psychologists to respond to a variety of hypothetical scenarios and found that those whose responses were utilitarian ended up scoring higher on measures of psychopathy.

Ayoub