I’ve never been able to find a clinically recognized name for it, but I’m convinced there must be a cognitive bias that I would call something like “personal exception bias.”

It’s that thing people do where they see a clear rule, a clear boundary, a clear guide for how we need to behave in order to keep things working, and we think to ourselves “sure, but it’s ok if I break the rule real quick. After all, I’m very responsible.”

I think this video is a great example of that, via TikTok user @a.liyahlally:

A woman in Maui has gone past signs and barricades and ignored the shouted corrections of those around her to enter a protected space and get some sea turtle pics.

“That’s so horrible,” says the person behind the camera.

And yes, it’s only pictures. She’s not kicking the turtles in the face.

But that’s not really the point.

@a.liyahlally

There was a barricade too and she was being yelled at by other people to stay back. Respect the wildlife. #hawaii #maui #turtles #tourist #respect

♬ original sound – okayyevan

A lot of clever lawyers entered the chat.

If you can’t be an adult, don’t travel unsupervised.

Can is not ought.

They didn’t put up a bunch of barriers and signs for fun – they’re trying to protect something in an increasingly fragile ecosystem.

“It’s just one person and they’re only taking pictures,” is a defense that misses the point.

Immanuel Kant proposed a philosophy which – paraphrasing – said “act in such a way that if everyone acted that way, things would go well.”

If it’s no big deal for YOU to go over the barricade, why not the next guy? And the next? Why not everybody?

And next thing you know, the protected space is destroyed, and those turtles you’re so taken with are gone.

If you liked that story, check out this one about a delivery driver who gave two weeks notice… so his employer disabled his truck when he was 300 miles from home!