In the world of today, nobody wants to be perceived as being responsible for anything. There was a time when being responsible was considered a good thing. When something went wrong, you acknowledged your mistake and worked to correct it. This was an admired character trait. Now such behavior is often laughed at and considered foolish. It's the individuals who can get others to be responsible for them who are now admired.
I submit to you a study from the Journal of Consumer Research (JCR). Their study is called “Forced to be bad: When eating that chocolate cake is 'not our fault'?” As a child, I would often tell my parents I was the innocent victim of some unknown individual from outer space who forced me to eat chocolate cake. This was done in an effort to avoid punishment for having eaten most of the chocolate cake. This study about being forced to be bad was done by adults at the JCR.
I can see (Sarcasm Alert) the tremendous value society will experience from such scientific efforts. I only wish it would've happened earlier. I would have been able to have much more chocolate cake during my youth.
This is an actual study. Below the study is in bold are my valuable insights in italics.
FORCED TO BE BAD: WHEN EATING THAT CHOCOLATE CAKE 'NOT OUR FAULT'?
Imagine you're dining out with a friend who insists on sharing some chocolate cake for dessert. Since the decision has already been made for you, you gladly join in without feeling any regret. According to a new study in the Journal of Consumer Research, consumers are happier when someone else decides they can indulge in dessert or other guilty pleasures.
If there is someone out there who willingly shares their chocolate cake with a friend send them my way. I need this kind of friend. Most of the people I know will gloat about how good their chocolate tastes and pity me because I can't afford dessert. According to this, I should be glad my friends decide I'm better off without chocolate cake. Regret is not what I'm feeling when this happens. I guess that's for another study.
"Most of us don't like being forced to do things. The freedom to make our own decisions generally energizes us and increases our sense of well-being. However, when it comes to purchasing and consuming products normally associated with feelings of guilt, reducing someone's sense of free choice could ultimately boost their overall well-being," write authors Fangyuan Chen and Jaideep Sengupta (both Hong Kong University of Science and Technology).
Huh? Let's see if I understand this. We don't like to be forced to do things. I assume this includes visiting with certain relatives. This love of free choice is thrown out the window when it comes to purchasing and consuming stuff. I suppose visiting my wife's relatives doesn't apply unless they're going to purchase stuff and buy me things to consume. If I let them do this, I'll have a higher sense of well-being. It's obvious Fangyuan Chen and Jaideep Sengupta haven't spent the holidays with our relatives. I think they should have certain members of mine and my wife's family go visit them during the holidays. This study would have a really interesting update if that happened. If they did this, I would probably experience a higher sense of well-being.
In one study, a group of consumers was asked to read a book that was either entertaining or educational. These consumers were either able to choose the book themselves or simply given one of the two books. Consumers who read the educational book experienced equal levels of guilt, vitality, and creativity regardless of whether they had chosen or were given the book. However, consumers who were given the entertaining book experienced significantly less guilt and much higher vitality and creativity than those who had freely chosen the entertaining book.
Who wrote these books? What was considered entertaining or educational? Why weren't my books used? Was one of them called “The Benefits Of Participating In Ridiculous Studies.” How about “Entertaining Yourself While Participating In Ridiculous Studies?” I want to know how they measured guilt, vitality, and creativity. I may just want to do this at the next family gathering.
Companies offering luxury products can use these results to help consumers deflect their spending decisions and feel better about splurging on expensive purchases. Meanwhile, businesses that sell indulgent products can help consumers enjoy their "guilty pleasures." Consumers will feel less guilt and enjoy themselves more if they don't feel responsible for an indulgence such as an unhealthy but delicious dessert.
This is all about making consumers happy when they spend too much money. They may have health issues because of eating a massive amount of desserts, but they'll do it without guilt. They may be spending themselves into bankruptcy, but at least they'll feel good about it. That is according to this study, and it's also not their fault.
Press Release For JCR Study
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