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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
Psychology

What gossip teaches us about risk

We are far better at explaining our choices than at making them.

By Alina Petrova23 Apr 20259 min read
People crossing a sunlit concrete hall
Essays

Kindness is a stubborn habit

Most advice assumes a person who never existed.

By Alina Petrova9 Feb 202511 min read
A lone figure climbing a pale stone staircase towards an arched window filled with light
Rationality

The fairness of the queue

Most advice assumes a person who never existed.

By Alina Petrova18 Dec 20247 min read
Pale pink blossom on thin branches in front of a raw concrete wall
Ideas

Status is a reasonable bet on the future

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

By Alina Petrova28 Nov 202412 min read
Illustration of a bare tree over a faint grid, overlaid with rust-red, pale blue and black-spotted circles
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

Ideas worth reading. Every week.

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

No spam. Just thoughtful ideas.