December brings a predictable wave of reflection. We ponder the year that has just passed and vow to make changes (behavior, lifestyle, business) designed to bring us closer to the level of success and happiness we seek. Problem is, these “sensible” assessments and resolutions rarely lead to sustained change. Why?
One savvy and fascinating gentleman we met in Jackson Hole this summer has built his entire academic career on answering this question. Over decades of research, Dan Ariely has found that human beings simply don’t behave in rational ways. Whether it’s losing weight, buying a house or choosing a romantic partner, we consistently procrastinate, overpay and underestimate. Yet these misguided behaviors are also systematic and predictable—making us “predictably irrational.” His goal is to help us see patterns so that we can His goal is to help us see patterns so that we can make smarter choices.
Dan is the real deal… He’s a professor of psychology and behavioral economics at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business and has given a number of inspiring talks and written bestselling books, including Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces that Shape Our Decisions and The (Honest) Truth About Dishonesty. Dan’s latest book is Dollars and Sense: How We Mis-think Money and How to Spend Smarter, which explains how our irrational behavior often interferes with our best intentions when it comes to managing our finances.
If one of your resolutions or goals for 2018 is financial, we predict this book will be a brilliant investment (or a practical gift for the spendthrift in your life).