Originally posted by Catwoman
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I felt it necessary to establish a definition of 'good' and 'bad' before I proceeded with an answer.
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Why? SM asked why people do things that
they think are bad not that you or I think are bad. No definition is necessary.
I think people go against their own code for at least two reasons: expediency and rationalization.
Its easier to trespass through the neighbor's yard (despite the fact that she asked you not to and you agreed) because its raining, its cold, you are in a hurry to get home and help your ailing mother and the neighbor is out of town and won't know the difference.
You steal a pen from the office supply cabinet with the advance justification that your raise was smaller "than you deserved."
People violate their own code when they take a superior position to the code - they temporarily (or permanently) re-write the code to assimilate the circumstance at hand.
I think there is a third that I'm having a hard time articulating but it goes something like someone giving themselves a "pass" - they knowingly violate the code and decide that a "just this once" now and again is ok and no further deliberation before or after occurs. Sort of an advance acknowledgement that we know we aren't going to finish our life with a perfect scorecard so, since I've been good lately, a minor transgression every so often is to be expected and is ok.