Human behavior

Social Currency

We share things that make us look good

Triggers

Top of mind, tip of tongue

Emotion

When we care, we share

Public

Built to show, built to grow

Practical Value

News you can use

Stories

Information travels under the guise of idle chatter

Vulnerability in Communication

• Vulnerability is a powerful communication tool, prompting attention and empathy.


• Sharing vulnerable information creates a sense of trust and connection.

Savings Coin in Kenya

• Dan Ariely's team experimented with savings strategies in a Kenyan slum called Kibera.


• They provided a coin with 24 numbers etched on its edges, representing the weeks of the program.


• Participants were instructed to scratch off a number each week, indicating whether they saved or not.


• The coin doubled savings compared to other m

2. Men and women use first-person plural words, or we-words, at the same rate. The use of we highlights one of the most enigmatic function words in our vocabulary. The natural assumption is that when speakers use we, they are referring to themselves and their close friends. There are even famous psychology studies where people see the word we flashed

It is the anticipation of a reward—not the fulfillment of it—that gets us to take action.

Vintage Swiss Army Knife Mind

• Dan Ariely uses the metaphor of a vintage Swiss army knife to describe the human mind.


• The mind, like a Swiss army knife, is a collection of tools for various tasks such as dealing with food and danger.


• However, it's a vintage tool, designed for ancient times, making it ill-equipped for modern challenges like understand

True Vulnerability

• Vulnerability in conversations involves exposing oneself to potential judgment, fostering deeper connection.


• Sharing something you could be judged on fast-forwards intimacy.

Endowing Things with Meaning

• Dan Ariely shares a story about Bill Harlan, a wine grower in California.


• Dan spent a day with Bill, observing the wine-making process.


• Bill gifted Dan a bottle of wine from when Dan was 30, which received 100 points from Parker.


• Bill told Dan to keep the wine until he turned 50.


• Dan kept the wine visible as a reminder of

The Power of Visible Actions

• A coin-based savings experiment in Kenya doubled savings rates.


• Making invisible actions like saving more visible can significantly impact motivation and incentives.