The Shopping Cart Theory: What Determines Morals?

A viral post on an anonymous forum is making waves through Twitter with an intriguing question: is a person’s moral character reflected by their ability, or inability, to place a shopping cart back where it belongs? While a simple means to an end, this theory both outlines and possesses logical thinking, leading to some people having existential crises.

The post begins with the following: “the shopping cart is the ultimate litmus test for whether a person is capable of self-governing.” It then proceeds to establish the consequential nature of returning or not returning the cart. Truthfully, there is no consequence to returning or not returning the cart. The outline of this argument establishes the inherent nature and goodwill of an individual, due to the situation's lack of consequences. However, by choosing to put the shopping cart back where it belongs, it progresses society and creates a commonwealth between consumers and those who put shopping carts back.

By choosing to cultivate this theory, we are also acknowledging the inadequacies of those who don’t put their carts away. After understanding that there is no punishment or illegal fines for their treatment of the cart, individuals who are selfish and decide not to put away the shopping cart do so without any personal loss. The actions of these individuals only hurt those around them, including the workers and those who have to pick up after these miscreants.

There could be an argument made that as people in society, we are not aware of where the shopping carts go or where they’re placed when we are done with shopping. However, the issue in the logic is that society informs us at an early age that shopping carts should be promptly placed into the corral upon completion of buying goods. This rule isn’t written but is instead an implication and societal standard that we abide by. When picking a more immoral decision, people are knowingly violating the moral ethics of returning a shopping cart.

In addition, by establishing both that shopping carts need to be placed back and that there are not any punishments associated with not putting a shopping cart back, we can look to the ethical standards that this dilemma can determine if an individual is a good or bad egg in society.

My personal point of view is that the shopping cart theory upholds its structural backbone and presents itself as one of the most contemporary, relatable posts that can easily identify morals in an individual. As a society, shopping carts are a good measure of if we failed or passed. Do we choose to return shopping carts with no incentive or failure? What are the costs of doing so? The theory outlines it perfectly.