#5. Conspicuous non-consumption (developed markets only)

This is a flip side to expecting less. Expecting less is inner directed, much in the same way that true philanthropy is anonymous. You do both because you believe that what you are doing is right. What anyone else thinks (or sees) is irrelevant. But there is another side to expecting less, where using or consuming less meets an old set of selfish attitudes and behaviours.

The idea here is that some people not only want to be green or good but want others to see them doing it. It is externally directed. In some ways this is no bad thing. The more people that see a Toyota Prius (Pious?) the more other people might accept the idea of buying one for themselves. Ditto smaller cars in the US, water conservation, recycling and so on.

But there is another, more selfish side to this too. This is the flaunting-it side of social, ethical and environmental behaviour, where people are not simply content with doing their bit but want to be seen as either a trend-setter or someone that’s better than everyone else.

Again, nothing so dreadfully wrong with this in one sense except that at the extreme these people don’t actually give a damn about being good or responsible. It is ethical behaviour as a fashion statement and fashions, as we all know, change.

Predictions: Companies charging customers more to get less.