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Values (ethics)

'Euphoria' actress accused of shoplifting. What are the ethics of stealing just a little bit?

David Oliver
USA TODAY

Maybe you hopped the turnstile in your local subway station. Maybe you ate a few pieces of colorful candy out of the dispenser before filling up a bag of sweets. Maybe you put in the code for bananas instead of apples at the self-checkout because they're cheaper.

Or maybe you're accused of stealing a $28 blouse, like "Euphoria" actress Chloe Cherry (which she has reportedly denied through a representative; USA TODAY has reached out for comment).

Stealing "just a little bit" isn't a new phenomenon – but it's very much against the law. And while legal consequences may vary, ethical questions loom. Is it ever OK?

Stealing "just a little bit" isn't a new phenomenon – but it's very much against the law. And while legal consequences may vary, ethical questions loom. Is it ever OK?

Experts say that context matters and that situations are not always so black-and-white, even if the law paints them that way. This isn't to say go ahead and break the law, of course, but to intellectually consider in certain situations whether the law best adheres to societal morality.

"People would like all actions to fall into the categories of 'OK' or 'not OK,' but a lot of life falls into an ethically gray area – some as the result of conscious actions, and some out of ignorance," says Ellen Feder, a professor in the department of philosophy and religion

at American University.

Chloe Cherry walks the runway during LaQuan Smith – February 2022 New York Fashion Week at 60 Pine Street on Feb. 14, 2022 in New York.

Breaking down poverty, shoplifting statistics

First things first:

  • Stealing is hardly uncommon. FBI data shows that there were 550,254 shoplifting incidents in the U.S. in 2021, but since many shoplifting incidents go unnoticed, the actual number is in the millions, says Brad Fulton, associate professor of management and social policy at the Indiana University – Bloomington.
  • Nearly 38 million people lived in poverty in 2021, according to Census Bureau statistics. 
  • Someone may see stealing a loaf of bread, for example, as better than starving and therefore worth the risk of getting caught.

Structural inequality and racism are real, says Yasser Payne, associate professor in the department of sociology and criminal justice at the University of Delaware.

"They're stealing to meet their basic needs, and/or their immediate needs, while simultaneously or concurrently thinking that is also wrong to do so," Payne says.

It's "not obviously" morally wrong either, says Christian Miller, professor of philosophy at Wake Forest University. "It is breaking a rule against stealing, but it is also following a rule in favor of saving innocent lives," he says.

The rationalizations we tell ourselves

It's easy to avoid feeling bad about something if we feel like no one is watching and no one gets visibly hurt.

Stealing "just a little bit" isn't a new phenomenon – but it's very much against the law. And while legal consequences may vary, ethical questions loom. Is it ever OK? When is it OK? Why?

Take the examples of hopping a turnstile, eating not-paid-for candy and swapping produce codes. One can't see the direct consequence of their action, unlike stealing something off of another person directly, like a handbag. "When behaviors clearly harm another person, then it's easy for us to say, well, that's unethical or immoral," says Taya Cohen, associate professor of organizational behavior and business ethics at Carnegie Mellon University.

But that doesn't mean everyone should go around and commit small crimes as a way to buck norms and challenge institutions. It's about individual choices people make to best suit their situations.

"We find different ways of telling ourself that even though we know it's wrong or dishonest, that the harm is not too much, or that it's OK," Cohen says.

We 'don't live in a realm of pure reason'

Decision-making depends a lot on how guilty you are likely to feel, Cohen adds: "People who are more guilt-prone, who have stronger moral character would be less likely to do these things, because they'd be more likely to say, 'this is wrong, and then there are consequences to this, even if it's not a big deal.'"

Everyone exists on a continuum of this morality, which is informed by one's race, class and overall privilege in society.

Not recognizing that is part of the problem. "We are flawed creatures, who don’t live in a realm of pure reason, but a messy world beset with inequity, injustice, and sometimes bad luck," Feder says. "More harm, I would suggest, can come from refusing to recognize these challenges we face."

Other ethical ideas to ponder

Hmm:Marie Kondo’s house is messy. Should you give up on being tidy too?

Interesting:Gwyneth Paltrow casually revealed she did cocaine. Who gets to joke about past drug use?

Important:Duxbury mom charged with murder of 3 kids. Dad's forgiveness stuns. But it's not a shock.

Wow:A YouTuber cured 1,000 blind people for a video. But is it performative altruism?

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