Essays
Long reads on how we actually think, decide and live.
Forecasting our own regret
We are poor at predicting how we will feel, and worst of all at predicting how much it will matter.
What the lottery teaches us about hope
A ticket is not a bet on winning. It is a small, weekly permission to imagine.
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.
Luck is a borrowed bet on the future
We are far better at explaining our choices than at making them.
The regret of the second helping
A small decision, repeated daily, is a life. Nobody designs it that way.
The choice of the round number
Economists have a model. The rest of us have a Tuesday.
The effort of the commute
The evidence is clear, the incentives are not, and the incentives usually win.
A short history of the last biscuit
We are far better at explaining our choices than at making them.
The case against the honest mistake
A small decision, repeated daily, is a life. Nobody designs it that way.
What the second helping teaches us about doubt
The evidence is clear, the incentives are not, and the incentives usually win.