Vicarious Goal Fulfillment

There’s some fascinating research about how we pick the worst food options when there is a good option available. It’s as though we satisfy our virtuous goals by simply having a virtuous option available, even though we don’t pick it! Then, having satisfied our virtuous goals, we indulge in the least healthy choice. What strange brains we have. Logical they most definitely aren’t.

Here’s a shorter article about the research, and here’s a longer version.

I’d love to see research on areas of life other than food, and to learn ways that we can use this weirdness of our brains to benefit us. Any ideas?