Essays
Long reads on how we actually think, decide and live.
The case against the waiting room
The mind is built for a different world. It copes remarkably well with this one.
What the loyalty card teaches us about envy
It looks like a flaw in the person. Mostly it is a feature of the situation.
What the tip jar teaches us about nostalgia
We are far better at explaining our choices than at making them.
The case against the rounding error
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.
In praise of the deadline
What feels like a preference is often just a default nobody questioned.
The pride of the long game
Not every irrational act is a mistake. Some are the point.
Generosity is a public act of faith
Most advice assumes a person who never existed.
A short history of the rounding error
The story we tell afterwards is tidier than the choice we made at the time.
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.
A short history of the queue
A small decision, repeated daily, is a life. Nobody designs it that way.