Been for a run? Have a Mars bar. Donated to charity? Splurge on a dress. A growing body of research has highlighted an interesting quirk of human behaviour – moral licensing. Dr. Paul Conway, who studies the psychology of morality, explains to Canvas8 how good actions license bad behaviour.

Burger fads and 1,000-calorie ready meals hardly fit in with a society that’s increasingly obsessed with healthy eating. But while these polarising trends paint a schizophrenic food landscape, they show how indulgent foods express our freedoms. After all, no one likes to be told what to eat.

We all feel a desire to win, whether that’s for self-validation or a gold medal. But a focus on ‘the win’ oversimplifies the real reasons we enter contests. Canvas8 sat down with Dr. Francesco Duina, author ofWinning: Reflections on an American Obsession, to understand our competitive nature.

Attaining a healthy lifestyle is hard work, but the way people perceive getting fit has a significant influence on how successful they are. Studies show that after a couple of hours of hard toil at the gym, people are more likely to want to treat themselves to some calorific snacks.