I picked up an amazing book the other day entitled Predictably Irrational by MIT behavioral economist Dan Ariely. In this best selling hardback, Dan explores the hidden forces that shape our decisions. From the first chapter on, this book had some amazing insights in store for the reader. Things such as …
- Why do headaches persist after taking a one cent aspirin but disappear when we take a 50 cent aspirin?
- Why do we splurge on an extravagant meal, but cut coupons to save 25 cents on a can of soup?
- How did we ever start spending over $4.00 on a cup of coffee when, just a few years ago, we used to spend less than a dollar?
Over the next few days we’ll explore some of the concepts in the book and how they affect our personal productivity on a daily basis. You’ll be surprised just how predictably irrational we are. Stay tuned…