Fishing line ❓ always pick it up and when I snag it on the water it gets wound around my hand and shoved in a compartment on the boat.

Trashing the environment is done by non caring illiterate people who will likely continue to be a disgrace to society.

I do pick up others trash but not always.

I try to adopt the "leave it better than you found it" mentality. But usually that aligns with what you said, picking up old fishing line I see on the shore. I'm generally not picking up people's beer cans or worm containers and putting them in my backpack unless I made a specific trip to pick up trash.

Psychology Suggests People Who Pick Up Litter Without Being Asked Practice Quiet Responsibility That Shapes How They Treat Strangers And The Planet

You Notice What Others Walk Past

You Treat Shared Spaces Like Home

You Move Fast When Something Feels Off

You Handle Mild Discomfort Without Drama

You Keep Your Standards When Nobody Watches

You Feel Responsible Without Feeling Superior

You Imagine the Next Person’s Day

You Let One Good Choice Spark Another

More can be found here: https://cottonwoodpsychology.com/blog/psychology-suggests-people-who-pick-up-litter-without-being-asked-practice-quiet-responsibility-that-shapes-how-they-treat-strangers-and-the-planet/

Personality traits of those who do litter:

People who litter typically exhibit traits like low conscientiousness, external locus of control, and high impulsivity. They often justify their actions through entitlement—expecting others to clean up after them—and a mindset of diffusion of responsibility, believing shared public spaces are "not their problem". [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

Psychological and behavioral studies outline the core traits that drive improper waste disposal: [1]

• Low Conscientiousness & Empathy: A reduced capacity to consider the long-term community or environmental impacts of their actions.

• External Locus of Control: The belief that outcomes are up to fate or other people rather than their own direct responsibility. They often rationalize that because the area "is already messy," their one wrapper won't make a difference.

• Entitlement & Narcissism: The belief that public spaces exist for their personal convenience and that janitors or maintenance staff exist to pick up their slack.

• Impulsivity & Need for Convenience: Prioritizing instant gratification. If a trash can isn't immediately at arm's reach, they will drop an item to avoid the temporary, minor inconvenience of carrying it.