The guilt you feel after killing bugs has a name @Vox
The guilt you feel after killing bugs has a name  @Vox
Uploaded June 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Every summer, people on the East Coast are told to stomp the spotted lanternfly. It's invasive, it damages crops, and scientists say killing them helps slow their spread. So why does it still feel bad?

Vox's Sally Helm looked into that feeling and found out it has a name: moral residue. The guilt you feel when you do something you think is right but that still doesn't sit well with you.

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The guilt you feel after killing bugs has a name

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