Modest eco-actions can breed complacency that delays real change.

Evidence

However, given the increasing scale of ecological destruction, substituting token gestures for genuine lifestyle changes accomplishes too little too slowly. Moreover, halfhearted measures can instill a sense of complacency that defers the adoption of more fundamental changes. — Albert Bandura, Moral Disengagement, 2955

Categorization

• XREF: Ties to moral disengagement themes in earlier chapters where small tokens discharge moral pressure and inhibit genuine conduct change.
• CANDY: A good conversational hook: virtue-signaling small gestures can actually make people less likely to make the big changes they claim to support.