Confronted with distributing food rations to hungry orphans, people would rather be fair than efficient, even if it means letting some of the food go to waste, a US study shows.

But the tests demonstrated that most people preferred equity in distributing food -- that all the hungry mouths got fed equally -- rather than an efficiency that perhaps meant that one orphan got almost nothing but also that no food went to waste.

Hsu said in a summary of the study that the research aimed at examining the neurological side of moral decision-making, and also what role was played by emotion.

There's something fishy about this study. Maybe these people have been brainwashed by society to try appear "fair" rather than being pragmatic and effective? I think a lot of modern people like concepts such as justice, equality and fairness, because it makes them look important and special. They get to help others, like Jesus - and it feels good to be Jesus! People living in a healthier age would probably choose to be effective instead. They lived under different conditions and knew you couldn't moralize over individual lives when food and water shortages threatened your everyday existence. Thanks to the overpopulation, we're reaching that state of living again.

What goes around, comes around.