Essays
Long reads on how we actually think, decide and live.
What the shortcut teaches us about regret
Economists have a model. The rest of us have a Tuesday.
What the long game teaches us about pride
We are far better at explaining our choices than at making them.
Why we believe the confident
It looks like a flaw in the person. Mostly it is a feature of the situation.
The luck of the polite refusal
What feels like a preference is often just a default nobody questioned.
A short history of gossip
We are far better at explaining our choices than at making them.
Loyalty is a small bargain
It looks like a flaw in the person. Mostly it is a feature of the situation.
In praise of the deadline
What feels like a preference is often just a default nobody questioned.
What the loyalty card teaches us about boredom
What feels like a preference is often just a default nobody questioned.
What the waiting room teaches us about expertise
The cost is obvious, the benefit is diffuse, and so the benefit loses.
The pride of the long game
Not every irrational act is a mistake. Some are the point.
What the free sample teaches us about boredom
It looks like a flaw in the person. Mostly it is a feature of the situation.
Knowing when to stop
Enough is a decision, not a quantity, and almost nobody makes it on purpose.