Essays
Long reads on how we actually think, decide and live.
Why we mistake fluency for truth
The story we tell afterwards is tidier than the choice we made at the time.
The choice of the round number
Economists have a model. The rest of us have a Tuesday.
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.
The effort of the loyalty card
We are far better at explaining our choices than at making them.
What gossip teaches us about risk
We are far better at explaining our choices than at making them.
In praise of the round number
Not every irrational act is a mistake. Some are the point.
In praise of the borrowed book
The cost is obvious, the benefit is diffuse, and so the benefit loses.
The effort of the commute
The evidence is clear, the incentives are not, and the incentives usually win.
A short history of the queue
A small decision, repeated daily, is a life. Nobody designs it that way.
A short history of small talk
Most advice assumes a person who never existed.
In praise of the commute
The evidence is clear, the incentives are not, and the incentives usually win.