Essays
Long reads on how we actually think, decide and live.
Why good people make bad decisions
Hypocrisy is the wrong diagnosis. The ordinary mind is simply built for a different world.
The memory of the group chat
The cost is obvious, the benefit is diffuse, and so the benefit loses.
Envy is a social bargain
Most advice assumes a person who never existed.
Envy is a social bet on the future
The mind is built for a different world. It copes remarkably well with this one.
Why we tip more at lunch
What feels like a preference is often just a default nobody questioned.
Restraint is a expensive argument
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.
A short history of the school run
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.
A short history of the to-do list
Before we try to fix people, it is worth understanding what they are for.
Luck is a borrowed bet on the future
We are far better at explaining our choices than at making them.