How to Be a Good Person Without Annoying Everyone

There’s a simple trick to provoking better behavior, without seeming like a self-righteous jerk.

Excerpt: "Researchers have found that people face up to and address their moral inconsistencies when they consider themselves capable of improvement.

Moral rebels can bolster this confidence, Brouwer said, by presenting their own behavior as the result of an ongoing process instead of an overnight transformation. Those who devote time to a political issue, for instance, might describe the small but meaningful wins that keep them motivated. Those who have given up a pleasure or convenience for ethical reasons might admit to occasional lapses or temptations.

(Instead of “Meat makes me gag,” vegetarians might try “That smells so good—steak’s the thing I miss the most.”) Emphasizing the value of incremental steps, Brouwer said, helps convince listeners that change is attainable."