People Who Never Return Their Cart At The Grocery Store Usually Have These 11 Personality Traits
Their entitlement is clearly evident in other places of their lives.
Nittaya Khuangthip | Shutterstock While there are several reasons why a person might not return their grocery cart at the store that have nothing to do with their personality, like having a kid in the car, dealing with bad weather, or struggling with a physical limitation. but some people are simply too entitled and self-centered to do so. They believe that the rules don’t apply to them and that their own convenience or comfort is more important than anyone else’s.
Even if it seems unsuspecting, this “shopping cart theory” can tell you a lot about a person, including their self-governance. When someone returns a cart, without receiving some kind of acknowledgement or “reward,” it’s a sign of moral goodness. However, people who never return their cart at the grocery store usually have these different personality traits that govern their behavior.
People who never return their cart at the grocery store usually have these 11 personality traits
1. They value convenience over everything
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Many people who value convenience over everything don’t just overspend on food deliveries or spend more for faster shipping — they’re also the kind of person who doesn’t return their cart at the grocery store. They often care more about their own personal time and energy — the convenience of their own comfort — than returning a grocery store cart to make other people’s lives easier.
In fact, their convenience often comes at the cost of another person’s. If they leave their cart in the parking lot or block a spot, they’re making another customer’s life more inconvenient, and the workers at the grocery store’s lives harder when they have to go out of their way to fetch it.
2. They’re innately entitled
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People who are innately entitled, believing that their time, money, space, and attention are more valuable than anyone else’s simply because of who they are, tend to be the usual culprits for not returning their grocery shopping carts.
According to a study from Case Western Reserve University, these entitled people often face certain psychological and social consequences to their exaggerated feelings of superiority, including a cycle of disappointment and unmet expectations that isolate them from others.
Even if it’s not returning their shopping cart, they’re harming other people, tainting their social perception, and missing out on the subtle humility and self-gratification that comes with doing good things, even when nobody else is watching.
3. They don’t follow the rules
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Entitled people who don’t return their shopping carts and believe that they’re above everyone else in their lives on every point often don’t think the rules are for them. They consistently overlook basic rules — both unwritten societal expectations, like holding the door open or returning a shopping cart, and literal legal systems — because they feel above everything.
If something makes them subtly uncomfortable or inconveniences their lifestyle, they’re not going to do it. Like a study published by Society for Personality and Social Psychology suggests, these people perceive the rules to be “unfair,” only because they aren’t tailored to protect their peace, time, or energy.
4. They don’t see the big picture
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People who never return their cart at the grocery store often have a myriad of entitled and self-centered personality traits, but it’s also possible that you simply don’t see the big picture. They’re ignorant about how their own actions affect others, so when they refuse to return their grocery cart, they’re not even imagining the future where someone has to take care of it.
This immaturity often manifests in a million ways across their lifestyle. They don’t clean up after themselves, make time for difficult conversations, or even offer people basic manners if it doesn’t feel comfortable for them, all at the expense of their own well-being and relationships.
5. They don’t respect service workers
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People who are innately disrespectful to service workers or feel some kind of moral superiority over people because of their occupation often don’t return their shopping carts at the grocery store. They say things like “it’s their job” or “they’re getting paid to do that” to justify their own entitlement, but hardly ever go out of their way to make their lives easier.
They don’t see these people as human beings, at least, on the same “level” that they see themselves, but instead as people paid to make their own lives more convenient.
6. They lack self-discipline
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Whether it’s returning their shopping cart at the store, showing up for their commitments, keeping a promise, or following through on a goal that they’ve set for themselves, these kinds of people lack self-discipline.
People who never return their shopping cart may not be self-disciplined enough to spend energy or time making someone else’s life easier. They don’t follow through in any aspect of their lives, even for big, consequential things, so putting their cart back when it doesn’t actively harm them or nobody else is around to notice is low on their list of obligations.
7. They live in their own bubble
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From interacting with content on the internet to shopping at the grocery store, people who never return their cart usually live in their own bubble. Even when it comes to personal space and unwritten rules in public — talking on speakerphone or stopping abruptly while walking in a public space — they’re ignorant of everyone around them.
They don’t return their cart because they don’t even think about it. They’re so focused on their own time, convenience, and routine that even subtle, controversial things like returning a shopping cart are the least of their worries.
8. They’re burnt out
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According to psychology professor Daniel J. Fox, neuroticism and extroversion are two personality traits that are commonly associated with burnout, crafting a “burnout-prone personality” that often leads to exhaustion in their everyday lives. Usually, we consider this kind of exhaustion in the framework of a career or a personal, emotional relationship, but it can also play a role in how someone acts in public.
If a burnt-out person makes it to the grocery store at all, chances are they won’t have the energy or motivation to return a grocery cart, whether someone is watching or not. Their brain and body are too preoccupied with grappling with the symptoms of burnout, so returning a shopping cart isn’t even on their radar.
9. They’re transactional
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For someone who’s inherently transactional in their lives, they don’t just weaponize affection and withhold communication when they’re upset — they also probably don’t return their shopping cart or clean up their messes unless someone praises them for it. They view everything through a transactional lens — if they’re not being “rewarded” in some way for doing the right thing, they’re not going to do it.
The same is true in relationships for these people. They don’t offer unconditional love or communication, unless they’re being offered it in return or being socially boosted for doing so.
10. They don’t care what people think
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While not worrying about other people’s opinions or caring what others think about you can be a superpower that boosts self-esteem and confidence, taking this belief too far — into believing “they don’t owe anyone anything” — can lead to socially unacceptable behaviors.
People who never return their cart at the grocery store may not care what people think, so they don’t mind making someone else’s life harder or putting their social perception ask risk by not doing the bare minimum. They care more about their own happiness, comfort, and convenience than anything else.
11. They never take accountability
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People who never consider themselves to be “the problem” also don’t go out of their way to apologize, take accountability, or do things for the benefit of others. They’re so focused on protecting their own sanity and comfort that avoidance is the foundation of all their interactions and behaviors.
People who refuse to take accountability don’t just avoid hard conversations and guilt-trip others into taking blame — they craft micro-habits, like not returning their shopping cart, that serve as self-preserving mechanisms for their internal comfort.
Zayda Slabbekoorn is a senior editorial strategist with a bachelor’s degree in social relations & policy and gender studies who focuses on psychology, relationships, self-help, and human interest stories.
