Essays
Long reads on how we actually think, decide and live.
The fairness of the queue
Most advice assumes a person who never existed.
The case against the sunk cost
Before we try to fix people, it is worth understanding what they are for.
In praise of the school run
A small decision, repeated daily, is a life. Nobody designs it that way.
Status is a reasonable bet on the future
Not every irrational act is a mistake. Some are the point.
The risk of the long game
The story we tell afterwards is tidier than the choice we made at the time.
In praise of small talk
The story we tell afterwards is tidier than the choice we made at the time.
The case against the tip jar
It looks like a flaw in the person. Mostly it is a feature of the situation.
What the second helping teaches us about doubt
The evidence is clear, the incentives are not, and the incentives usually win.
The trust of the borrowed book
We are far better at explaining our choices than at making them.
Generosity is a social bargain
We are far better at explaining our choices than at making them.
What the group chat teaches us about kindness
The evidence is clear, the incentives are not, and the incentives usually win.
Why we keep receipts
Economists have a model. The rest of us have a Tuesday.