The English title of this book literally translates as-Predictable Irrationality. The author says that irrationality is human instinct and a hidden force that dominates human behavior and decision-making. But these irrational behaviors are neither random nor meaningless. They are systematic and predictable.
Let's look at an example of subscribing to The Economist:
It is precisely because of the temptation of the uneconomical independent print edition that the number of subscribers of the printed and electronic packages has increased. The human brain is naturally bound by thinking: it always depends on observing things around it to determine the relationship between them. This is not only reflected in tangible objects, but also in intangible objects, such as holidays and educational choices.
The basic logic can be understood by the following figure:
On the left, A and B have their own advantages, so it is difficult for us to make a choice. However, -A (bait) is introduced into the picture on the right, and a simple and intuitive contrast relationship with A is constructed, so that A looks not only better than -A, but also better than B. As a result, after adding -A, although there is no candidate, it will make people more likely to choose B in the end. This is the bait effect.
A young man plans to earn100000 in three years and 300000 in three years, but he still feels unhappy just because his friends around him earn 3 1 0000. Relativity can not only help us make various decisions in life, but also make us miserable. Because when we compare the luck in life with others, we will be jealous and envious.
So how to break this strange circle of relativity? Broaden your horizons!
The author gave an example. If you want to buy a pen, the first store sells for $25, and you know that another store 15 minutes away sells for 18, many people would rather go a long way to save this $7. If you want to buy a dress, the price of the first store is 455 dollars, and the price of the other store is 448 dollars, 15 minutes' drive. Most people say they won't go shopping for clothes. Is your 15 minute worth $7? In this case, the only question you should consider is whether the extra 15 minutes is worth saving you $7. It doesn't matter whether the money is saved from 10 or 10000.
It is not easy to broaden our horizons like this, because making decisions based on relative factors is our natural way of thinking. Can we control ourselves? I hope I can think more about this choice in the future!