“Most people give substantial weight to anecdotal evidence, perhaps so much that it will cancel out positive recommendations found in consumer reports. People's tendency to give undue weight to some types of information is called the availability heuristic. A heuristic… — Barry Schwartz Copy Share Image
When you rely on incentives, you undermine virtues. Then when you discover that you actually need people who want to do the right thing,… — Barry Schwartz Copy Share Image
“Emotions properly trained and modulated, Aristotle told his readers, are essential to being practically wise: We can experience fear, confidence, desire, anger, pity, and… — Barry Schwartz Copy Share Image
“When asked about what they regret most in the last six months, people tend to identify actions that didn’t meet expectations. But when asked… — Barry Schwartz Copy Share Image
“If society asks more of us, and arranges its social institutions appropriately, it will get more.” — Barry Schwartz Copy Share Image
Years of research in psychology has shown that rewards and punishments can be very effective in changing behavior. But, at the same time, they… — Barry Schwartz Copy Share Image
“Being able to criticize our own certainties is often a painful struggle, demanding some courage as we try to stand back and impartially judge… — Barry Schwartz Copy Share Image
“According to standard economic assumptions, the only opportunity costs that should figure into a decision are the ones associated with the next-best alternative.” — Barry Schwartz Copy Share Image
“We give disproportionate weight to whether yogurt is said to be five percent fat or 95 percent fat free. People seem to think that… — Barry Schwartz Copy Share Image
Too little attention is paid to the dark side of incentives. They are anything but a magic bullet. Psychologists have known this for years,… — Barry Schwartz Copy Share Image
“Focus on what makes you happy, and do what gives meaning to your life” — Barry Schwartz Copy Share Image
How much does it really matter whether your child will soon be enjoying a first year at Harvard or Yale or will instead end… — Barry Schwartz Copy Share Image
What I look for in any book is an argument, based on evidence, that changes the way I think about something important. — Barry Schwartz Copy Share Image
