Current installment in my 5 question interview series. Dan Ariely is the author of Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions.
1. You often say that people who perpetrated a crime, particularity a financial crime have to be subjected to a well publicized punishment. If our behavior is selfish and irrational isn’t any form or punishment futile? In other words only in a rational world the lessons could be learned.
2. “Behavioral economics” is somewhat of a confusing name, perhaps reflecting on the multidimensional aspects of the discipline. If you had a choice to re-brand your field with a new name what would that name be?
3. You succeeded in articulating the AHA moments. When you describe how comparison plays the decisive role in all of our choices, it seems so obvious. If indeed these are the mechanics by witch we make all out selections in life, from a house to a mate, how come nobody noticed this before? Did behavioral economics provide the testing methodology for this self evident fact to be believable?
4. People are afraid of irrational world and strive to make sense of it all rationally, have you encountered any resentment for describing the irrational human nature?
5. Is the late Amos Tversky or (may he live till 120) Daniel Kahneman one of your mentors? Could you share any personal anecdotes about them? How did they stumble into this field?
Further reading:
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Thanks so much for this Five Questions series. After watching the Ariely piece, I watched a few of your other videos. Just watched your vid on being who you are online, and not wasting time trying to create two characters, or splitting one's work into higher and lower channels of quality. Nicely done.
G
Thank you, Gregor.