<P> On a personal level, taking a subjectively "good action" can land one in a horrific emotional and / or physical state of being, e.g., a soldier goes off to war to fight for the subjective good of their country and ends up with post-traumatic stress disorder . </P> <P> Psychological studies of the effect of intention upon task completion by professors Peter Gollwitzer, Paschal Sheeran and Sheina Orbell indicate that there is some truth in the proverb . Perfectionists are especially prone to having their intentions backfire in this way . Some have argued that people are more likely to interpret their own actions as more well intended than the actions of others . </P> <P> Attempts to improve the ethical behaviour of groups are often counter-productive . If legislation is used for such an attempt, people observe the letter of the law rather than improve the desired behaviour . During negotiation, groups that are encouraged to understand the point of view of the other parties are worse at this than those whose perspective is not enlightened . The threat of punishment may make behavior less rather than more ethical . Studies of business ethics indicate that most wrongdoing is not due directly to wickedness but is performed by people who did not plan to err . </P> <P> Stephen Garrard Post, writing about altruism, suggests that good intentions are often not what they seem and that mankind normally acts from less worthy, selfish motives--"If the road to hell is paved with good intentions, it is partly because that is the road they generally start out on ." </P>

The route to hell is paved with good intentions