This is adjacent to another effect, which results in shitty behaviour:

In studies where people do something they consider “ethical”, like buying environmentally-friendly groceries, they often give themselves a free pass to do something unethical, like parking in a bay reserved for people with disabilities.

It’s as though they feel like they’ve “paid” for it somehow.

There’s a sciency name for it, but I can’t remember what it is.

Anyway, I would strenuously avoid “doing good” because that is a path to many bad things.

By all means, pick up litter.

Do spare a thought to the origins of your groceries.

And definitely don’t be a dick about parking.

But don’t congratulate yourself for doing so. Don’t think of yourself too much as a “good person”.

Just avoid doing asshole things, all the time, every day — especially at work, where people are counting on you.