Essays
Long reads on how we actually think, decide and live.
What the round number teaches us about generosity
What feels like a preference is often just a default nobody questioned.
Why we change our minds so rarely
The evidence is clear, the incentives are not, and the incentives usually win.
In praise of the slow lane
Most advice assumes a person who never existed.
Envy is a slow form of trust
The cost is obvious, the benefit is diffuse, and so the benefit loses.
What the last biscuit teaches us about kindness
The cost is obvious, the benefit is diffuse, and so the benefit loses.
The case against a good excuse
Most advice assumes a person who never existed.
Expertise is a social kind of hope
What feels like a preference is often just a default nobody questioned.
What the apology teaches us about hope
Economists have a model. The rest of us have a Tuesday.
What the slow lane teaches us about loyalty
A small decision, repeated daily, is a life. Nobody designs it that way.
A short history of the queue
A small decision, repeated daily, is a life. Nobody designs it that way.
In praise of the commute
The evidence is clear, the incentives are not, and the incentives usually win.
The choice of the late fee
What feels like a preference is often just a default nobody questioned.