Essays
Long reads on how we actually think, decide and live.
Rationality is a human endeavour
What economics, psychology and everyday life can teach us about making better decisions.
The limits of the calculator
Expected utility is a fine tool. It was never a description of anyone.
The tyranny of the default
Most of the choices that shape a life were never chosen at all.
The patience of the deadline
Before we try to fix people, it is worth understanding what they are for.
Good enough, on purpose
Satisficing is not a failure to optimise. It is the only strategy that fits inside a day.
A short history of the empty diary
What feels like a preference is often just a default nobody questioned.
The argumentative mind
Alone we are lazy thinkers. In disagreement we become sharp. That is not a bug.
What the loyalty card teaches us about envy
It looks like a flaw in the person. Mostly it is a feature of the situation.
A short history of the honest mistake
The story we tell afterwards is tidier than the choice we made at the time.
What reason is for
We did not evolve to be right. We evolved to be convincing, and to be hard to convince.
The loyalty of the school run
What feels like a preference is often just a default nobody questioned.
The luck of the receipt
Before we try to fix people, it is worth understanding what they are for.