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The Unreasonable Human
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Essays

Long reads on how we actually think, decide and live.

AttentionBehaviourDecision-makingDesignEconomicsFairnessHappinessIdeasInstitutionsLoss aversionMarketsNudgesPsychologyRationalityRisk
Rationality

Why we misremember the past

The evidence is clear, the incentives are not, and the incentives usually win.

By Alina Petrova30 Sept 20246 min read
A lone figure climbing a pale stone staircase towards an arched window filled with light
Series

The case against the weather forecast

Not every irrational act is a mistake. Some are the point.

By Alina Petrova24 Sept 20247 min read
Illustration of a bare tree over a faint grid, overlaid with rust-red, pale blue and black-spotted circles
Behaviour

In praise of the empty diary

Most advice assumes a person who never existed.

By Alina Petrova15 Sept 202412 min read
Illustration of a head in profile facing two overlapping rust-red circles and a cluster of thin vertical lines
Ideas

A short history of the apology

Before we try to fix people, it is worth understanding what they are for.

By Alina Petrova9 Sept 20249 min read
Pale pink blossom on thin branches in front of a raw concrete wall
Essays

In praise of the apology

Most advice assumes a person who never existed.

By Alina Petrova3 Sept 202410 min read
People crossing a sunlit concrete hall

Ideas worth reading. Every week.

Essays, data and ideas on economics, rationality and why we do what we do.

No spam. Just thoughtful ideas.