“Predictably Irrational.” That’s not just the title of Dan Ariely’s book I just finished.
That’s us.
We like to think of ourselves as rational decision-makers. But when tested "in the wild", real life, our brains reveal something different.
Consistently so.
Take aspirin.
It shouldn't matter, what it costs for how well it does its job. And yet, in a human, the more expensive it is, the more effective people report it to be. The placebo of cost actually makes it work better.
Or wine and coffee.
It shouldn’t matter what glass or cup they’re served in. And yet, in humans, we rate CONSISTENTLY the same drink higher if it comes in a fancier package.
Ownership is another trick your mind plays on you.
It shouldn't matter whether something is ours or not for how much we value a thing. And yet in humans, even simply imagining we own it, like when you put an item in your online shopping cart, or bid on something on Ebay, suddenly makes it feel like “the best” option, even if a cheaper, better version shows up later.
So what do we do with this?
We could get frustrated with our nature. We could try to outsmart ourselves, change ourselves, becoming ever more “rational.”
Or, we could work WITH it.
That means:
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Stop obsessing over the "perfect choice" - restaurant, a phone, a movie. Give yourself an hour, decide, and move on. Your brain will make sure you'll love what you pick anyway.
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Be okay when things don’t go your way. Our minds are remarkably good at reframing disappointment into satisfaction and enjoying the alternative path we "had to take" as the best one in the end.
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AND build systems to help future you act rationally without thinking. For example:
• Ask ChatGPT to do your shopping based on your rules - before looking into any of the options yourself.
• Buy only on certain days, at certain times, so you don’t fall into the “I need this now” trap, which disappears remarkably fast, when you give it some time. Let only the lasting desires end up in your life.
There's also a research-proven formula for happiness:
Happiness = Reality - Expectations.
And the best part? YOU have total control of your expectations. BECAUSE of your irrational self.
Over to you dear reader,
What systems do you use to BENEFIT from your irrationality, so it becomes an advantage, not a regret?
