Chapter 9: The effect of expectations
Mar
01
I had a plan of having one video per chapter — and I still have this plan. So far we are at chapter 9
Dan Ariely
My Irrational Life3 Comments to “Chapter 9: The effect of expectations”
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The Books
The Upside of Irrationality
Irrationality is not all bad. In the Upside of irrationality we examine some of the positive effects irrationality have on our lives and offer a new look on the irrational decisions that influence our personal lives and our workplace experiences.
Predictably Irrational
When we make decisions we think we're in control, making rational choices. But are we? Entertaining and surprising, Ariely unmasks the subtle but powerful tricks that our minds play on us.
The title of the above chapter seeemed to make this an appropriate area in which to post my comment.
I am an old “fart,” having retired from a business career as CFO in Fortune 500 and Forbes 400 environments, and have returned to my first love: teaching (Philosophy, Finance, Management, at the undergraduate level). I have an MBA from a top-10 B school, as well as two Philosophy degrees.
While there have been many great minds who have influenced my thinking (Plato, Aristotle, Whitehead, etc.), there has been only one book that has influenced/changed my life: “Irrational Man,” by William Barrett. At age 26, I read that book, and within 90 days I was married to someone I had never known previously. (We knew each other only 31 days before we got married. We are working on our 39th year married. She attended Harvard B School.)
BUT: if I were young enough to have my life changed, there is a now a second book that would (have) change(d) my life: “Predictably Irrational.” Having completed only two chapters in the book, I decided I “had” to give a copy each to my children (those copies are in their way), and told my Critical Thinking students about the book.
Wonderful insights, pleasant self-deprecating writing style.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts.
I wonder if the placebo affect is really irrational. Not that it is rational, I just do not think it is fair to apply rationality to it. It is the power of suggestion. Is it irrational that if something touches my arm that I feel it or that a person who is paralyzed does not feel it?
This question came to me when I was talking to a Psychology student at dinner. I was talking about your book and Malcolm Gladwell’s book, Blink. The placebo affect seems to be unexpected but it does not seem to be irrational.
I am curious what other people think of this idea.
Precisely the reason why I think the media has become such a negative influence on the economy. The only thing everyone keeps hearing from the media is how bad everything is and as a result that is what everyone has come to expect.