Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions

by Dan Ariely

Most people believe that they make rational decisions by thoughtfully weighing their options.

However, we unconsciously behave irrationally and act against our interests in many situations. Behavioral economist Dan Ariely demonstrates this with numerous exciting experiments presented entertainingly and humorously.

Some examples:

• We assign a higher value to things we own than to those we want.
• Expensive medicines are often more effective than inexpensive ones, even if they contain exactly the same ingredients.
• We add products we don't want to our virtual shopping cart – just to meet the threshold for free shipping.
• We let the 30-day money-back guarantee convince us to buy a product – and then we don't want to give it away (even if we don't necessarily need it).

The author's goal is not to explore the psychology behind these behaviors in depth. Instead, he wants to show readers how predictable their irrationality is and that they are not helplessly exposed to it.

With this insight, we can develop an awareness of potentially harmful choices and not have to fall into the psychological traps set for us day after day.

A recommendation for anyone who wants to recognize how they are manipulated in their everyday decisions and behave a little more rationally.

🎧 Suitable as an audiobook? Yes!

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Genres

Behavioral Economics Decision Making Psychology Human Behavior Critical Thinking Social Psychology Self-Awareness