1.	Incentives Are the Cornerstone of Modern Life	2.	The Hidden Side of Everything	3.	The Economics of Drug Dealing	4.	Information Asymmetry	5.	Crime and Abortion Correlation	6.	The Impact of Parenting Styles	7.	School Choice & Student Performance	8.	The Power of Names	9.	Experts and Their Influence	10.	Social Norms vs. Economic Incentives	11.	The Role of Fear in Decision-Making	12.	Cheating Teachers & Sumo Wrestlers	13.	Real Estate Agents’ Incentives	14.	Why Crack Dealers Still Live with Their Moms	15.	The Ku Klux Klan and Real Estate Agents	16.	The Dynamics of Racial & Economic Disparity

Topics You’ll Master Today

Incentives drive behavior in every aspect of life. Understanding these motivations helps explain why people do what they do, from committing crimes to donating to charity. 	“People respond to incentives, although not necessarily in ways that are predictable.”

Incentives Are The Cornerstone of Modern Life

Levitt emphasizes looking beyond the obvious to uncover hidden truths. By questioning conventional wisdom, we can reveal surprising insights about human behavior and societal trends. 	“Morality, it could be argued, represents the way that people would like the world to work—whereas economics represents how it actually does work.”

The Hidden Side of Everything

Drug dealers operate like any business, with hierarchies, salaries, and economic pressures. Many street-level dealers earn low wages and live in poverty, contrary to popular belief. 	“In a gang, the top 2.2 percent of gang members made up 25 percent of the total gang profit.”

The Economics of Drug Dealing

When one party has more information than another, it creates a power imbalance. This concept explains various phenomena, from car sales to internet fraud. 	“Information is a beacon, a cudgel, an olive branch, a deterrent—all depending on who wields it and how.”

Information Asymmetry

Levitt controversially links the legalization of abortion to a significant drop in crime rates, arguing that unwanted children are more likely to grow up in adverse conditions that lead to criminal behavior. 	“Legalized abortion led to less unwantedness; unwantedness leads to high crime; legalized abortion, therefore, led to less crime.”

Crime & Abortion Coorelation

The authors explore what really matters in parenting, suggesting that many commonly held beliefs about child-rearing have little effect on future success. 	“What matters most is who you are, not what you do.”

The Impact of Parenting Styles

School choice has a complex impact on student performance. The study suggests that the family background and the desire for a better education are more important than the school itself. 	“It isn’t so much a matter of what you do as a parent; it’s who you are.”

School Choice & Student Performance

Names carry significant social and economic implications. They can influence how individuals are perceived and the opportunities available to them. 	“If you name your child Winner, he might end up a loser; if you name him Loser, he might end up a winner.”

The Power of Names

Experts often have their own agendas, which can skew their advice and decisions. Understanding this helps us critically evaluate the information we receive. 	“An expert doesn’t so much argue the various sides of an issue as plant his flag firmly on one side.”

Experts & Their Influence

Social norms and economic incentives often conflict, shaping behavior in different ways. Understanding this dynamic helps explain actions that seem irrational. 	“Economic incentives are more powerful than social norms.”

Social Norms Vs Economic Influence

Fear often drives irrational decisions. By recognizing the impact of fear, we can make more rational choices and better understand societal behaviors. 	“The conventional wisdom is often wrong.”

The Role of Fear In Decision-Making

Incentives to succeed can lead to cheating, whether in standardized testing or professional sumo wrestling. Both cases illustrate how pressures can corrupt integrity. 	“Cheating is a primordial economic act: getting more for less.”

Cheating Teachers & Sumo Wrestlers

Real estate agents’ motivations can lead to actions that aren’t in the best interest of their clients. By understanding their incentives, clients can make more informed decisions. 	“An agent keeps the entire premium from selling your house for a higher price, but shares the commission from a quicker sale.”

Real Estate Agent’s Incentives

The structure of drug-dealing organizations is similar to that of legitimate businesses, with most profits concentrated at the top, leaving little for lower-level workers. 	“It turns out that dealing crack is a lot more like working at McDonald’s than you might have thought.”

Why Crack Dealers Still Live With Their Mothers

Both the Ku Klux Klan and real estate agents use secret knowledge to gain power and influence. By exposing this information, their power can be diminished. 	“Sunlight is said to be the best of disinfectants.”

The Ku Klux Klan & Real Estate Agents

The book explores how historical and economic factors perpetuate racial and economic disparities. Understanding these dynamics helps explain persistent inequality. 	“The conventional wisdom is often shoddily formed and self-interested.”

The Dynamics of Racial & Economic Disparities

1.	Incentives Drive Behavior: Understanding incentives explains actions.	2.	Look Beyond the Obvious: Question conventional wisdom.	3.	Drug Dealing Economics: Similar to legitimate businesses.	4.	Information Asymmetry: Creates power imbalances.	5.	Crime and Abortion: Legalization linked to crime reduction.﻿6.	Parenting Impact: Who you are matters more than what you do.	7.	School Choice: Family background is crucial.	8.	Names Matter: Influence perceptions and opportunities.	9.	Experts’ Agendas: Evaluate advice critically.	10.	Social Norms vs. Incentives: Shape behavior differently.

11.	Fear’s Role: Drives irrational decisions.	12.	Cheating Incentives: High pressure can lead to corruption.	13.	Real Estate Agents: Understand their motivations﻿14.	Drug Dealer Hierarchies: Similar to corporate structures.	15.	Secret Knowledge: Used for power and influence.	16.	Economic Disparities: Historical and economic factors perpetuate inequality.

Solving a problem is hard enough; it gets that much harder if you’ve decided beforehand it can’t be done.

Uncover the hidden truths of everyday life and human behavior through surprising economic insights.

En esta obra, Levitt y Dubner demuestran, a través de ejemplos y una sarcástica perspicacia, que la economía representa el estudio de los incentivos. ¿Qué resulta más peligroso: una pistola o una piscina? ¿Qué tienen en común un maestro de escuela y un luchador de sumo? ¿Por qué continúan los traficantes de drogas viviendo con sus madres? ¿En qué se parecen el Ku Kux Klan a los agentes inmobiliarios? Quizás éstas no sean las típicas preguntas que se formula un experto en economía, pero Steven D. Levitt y Stephen J. Dubner no son unos economistas muy típicos. Se trata de especialistas que estudian la esencia y los enigmas de la vida cotidiana y cuyas conclusiones, con frecuencia, ponen patas arriba la sabiduría convencional. A través de ejemplos prácticos y de una sarcástica perspicacia, Levitt y Dubner demuestran que la economía, en el fondo, representa el estudio de los incentivos: el modo en que las personas obtienen lo que desean, o necesitan, especialmente cuando otras personas desean o necesitan lo mismo.

Understand yourself and those around you.

psychology

Psychology

Discover the world of business and economics.

economics

Economics

marketingandsales

Marketing & Sales

books

Books

scienceandnature

Science & Nature

Steven D. Levitt

Stephen J. Dubner

Freakonomics

1.	The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us	2.	The Rise and Fall of Motivation 2.0	3.	The Three Elements of True Motivation	4.	Autonomy	5.	Mastery	6.	Purpose	7.	Type I and Type X Behaviors	8.	The Seven Deadly Flaws of Carrots and Sticks	9.	The Sawyer Effect	10.	The Goldilocks Tasks	11.	The Importance of Flow	12.	Creating a Motivation 3.0 Environment	13.	The Power of Purpose-Driven Goals	14.	The Role of Feedback	15.	Motivation in the Workplace

Pink argues that the traditional reward and punishment system (Motivation 2.0) is outdated. Research shows that intrinsic motivators—autonomy, mastery, and purpose—drive us more effectively than external rewards. 	“The secret to high performance isn’t rewards and punishments, but that unseen intrinsic drive.”

The Surprising Truth Behind What Motivates Us

Motivation 2.0, based on external rewards, worked well for routine tasks but falters in modern, creative work. Pink traces its historical roots and explains why it’s ineffective for today’s challenges. 	“Our current operating system, Motivation 2.0, is built entirely around external carrots and sticks.”

The Rise & Fall of Motivation 2.0

True motivation comprises three elements: autonomy, mastery, and purpose. These intrinsic motivators inspire greater performance and satisfaction than extrinsic rewards. 	“Autonomy, mastery, and purpose are the building blocks of a new way of doing things.”

The 3 Elements of True Motivation

Autonomy involves having control over our work. Pink suggests that giving employees more autonomy—over task, time, team, and technique—leads to higher engagement and productivity. 	“People need autonomy over what they do, when they do it, how they do it, and who they do it with.”

Autonomy

Mastery is the desire to get better at something that matters. Pink emphasizes the importance of a growth mindset and deliberate practice in achieving mastery. 	“Mastery is a mindset; it requires the capacity to see your abilities not as finite, but as infinitely improvable.”

Mastery

Purpose is the yearning to do what we do in the service of something larger than ourselves. Pink argues that having a sense of purpose enhances motivation and fulfillment. 	“The most deeply motivated people—harnessing the power of intrinsic motivation—are purpose maximizers.”

Purpose

Type I behavior is fueled by intrinsic desires, while Type X behavior is driven by extrinsic rewards. Pink argues that Type I leads to better long-term outcomes and satisfaction. 	“Type I behavior promotes greater health, happiness, and long-term success.”

Type I & Type X Behaviours

Pink identifies seven flaws of the carrot-and-stick approach: they can extinguish intrinsic motivation, diminish performance, crush creativity, crowd out good behavior, encourage cheating, shortcuts, and unethical behavior, become addictive, and foster short-term thinking. 	“Extrinsic rewards and punishments can backfire and lead to the exact opposite of what they aim to achieve.”

The 7 Deadly Flaws of Carrots & Sticks

The Sawyer Effect refers to the phenomenon where rewards turn enjoyable tasks into work. Named after Tom Sawyer, it shows how extrinsic rewards can diminish intrinsic motivation. 	“Rewards can turn an interesting task into a drudge and play into work.”

The Sawyer Effect

Goldilocks tasks are those that are neither too hard nor too easy but just right. These tasks challenge us and keep us engaged, promoting flow and intrinsic motivation. 	“People are most motivated when working on tasks that are in the Goldilocks zone—not too easy, not too difficult.”

The Goldilocks Tasks

Flow is a state of complete absorption in an activity. Pink explains how achieving flow is essential for motivation and how to design tasks to promote it. 	“Flow is the optimal state of intrinsic motivation where we feel and perform our best.”

The Importance of Flow

Pink outlines steps to create an environment that fosters Motivation 3.0, which emphasizes autonomy, mastery, and purpose. He provides practical tips for leaders and organizations. 	“Organizations should create environments that foster autonomy, mastery, and purpose.”

Cresting a Motivation 3.0 Environment

Purpose-driven goals align personal and organizational objectives, providing deeper motivation. Pink highlights how meaningful goals can inspire and sustain long-term efforts. 	“When the profit motive becomes unmoored from the purpose motive, bad things happen.”

The Power of Purpose Driven Goals

Regular, constructive feedback is crucial for mastery. Pink discusses the importance of feedback loops in maintaining motivation and guiding improvement. 	“Feedback is a critical component of the cycle of intrinsic motivation and mastery.”

The Role of Feedback

Pink concludes with insights on applying these principles in the workplace. He advocates for leadership that fosters intrinsic motivation through supportive policies and practices. 	“To unleash motivation, we must shift from command-and-control to a more autonomy-supportive approach.”

Motivation in the Workspace

1.	Motivation 2.0’s Limits: Traditional rewards are less effective for modern tasks.	2.	True Motivation: Autonomy, mastery, and purpose drive us more deeply.	3.	Autonomy’s Role: Control over work boosts engagement and productivity.	4.	Mastery: Continuous improvement and growth mindset fuel motivation.	5.	Purpose’s Power: Working for a larger cause enhances fulfillment.

6.	Type I vs. Type X: Intrinsic motivation (Type I) leads to better outcomes.	7.	Carrot and Stick Flaws: Extrinsic rewards can harm motivation and performance.	8.	Sawyer Effect: Rewards can turn enjoyable tasks into chores.	9.	Goldilocks Tasks: Optimal challenges keep us engaged and motivated.	10.	Achieving Flow: Complete absorption in tasks boosts performance.

11.	Motivation 3.0 Environment: Creating supportive environments fosters intrinsic motivation.	12.	Purpose-Driven Goals: Meaningful goals inspire sustained efforts.	13.	Feedback Importance: Constructive feedback guides improvement.	14.	Workplace Application: Leadership should foster autonomy, mastery, and purpose.	15.	New Approach Needed: Shifting to autonomy-supportive leadership unleashes motivation.

Empathy is about standing in someone else's shoes, feeling with his or her heart, seeing with his or her eyes.

Embark on a journey to understand what “really” motivates us.

Forget everything you thought you knew about how to motivate people - at work, at school, at home. It's wrong. As Daniel H. Pink explains in his new and paradigm-shattering book DRIVE: THE SURPRISING TRUTH ABOUT WHAT MOTIVATES US, the secret to high performance and satisfaction in today's world is the deeply human need to direct our own lives, to learn and create new things, and to do better by ourselves and our world. Drawing on four decades of scientific research on human motivation, Pink exposes the mismatch between what science knows and what business does - and how that affects every aspect of our lives. He demonstrates that while the old-fashioned carrot-and-stick approach worked successfully in the 20th century, it's precisely the wrong way to motivate people for today's challenges. In DRIVE, he reveals the three elements of true motivation: AUTONOMY - the desire to direct our own lives; MASTERY - the urge to get better and better at something that matters; PURPOSE - the yearning to do what we do in the service of something larger than ourselves. Along the way, he takes us to companies that are enlisting new approaches to motivation and introduces us to the scientists and entrepreneurs who are pointing a bold way forward. DRIVE is bursting with big ideas - the rare book that will change how you think and transform how you live.

mindfulness

Mindfulness

motivationandinspiration

Motivation & Inspiration

entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship

Daniel H. Pink is the author of six provocative books — including his newest, When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing. WHEN has spent 4 months on the New York Times bestseller list and was named a Best Book of 2018 by Amazon and iBooks. Dan's other books include the long-running New York Times bestseller A Whole New Mind and the #1 New York Times bestsellers Drive and To Sell is Human. His books have won multiple awards and have been translated into 39 languages. He and his wife, who live in Washington, DC, have three children -- a college senior, a college sophomore, and a high school sophomore. 

Daniel H. Pink

Drive

1.	The Concept of Mental Models	2.	First Principles Thinking	3.	The Map Is Not the Territory	4.	Inversion	5.	Occam’s Razor	6.	Hanlon’s Razor	7.	Probabilistic Thinking	8.	Circle of Competence	9.	The Pareto Principle	10.	The Availability Heuristic	11.	Confirmation Bias	12.	Falsifiability	13.	Second-Order Thinking	14.	Thinking Gray	15.	Margin of Safety

Mental models are frameworks that help us understand and interpret the world. They simplify complexity and help us make better decisions by providing a structured way of thinking. 	“To understand reality, we need to build a latticework of mental models.”

The Concept of Mental Models

This model involves breaking down complex problems into basic elements. By understanding the fundamentals, we can develop innovative solutions and avoid assumptions. 	“First principles thinking allows us to see the root cause and rebuild from scratch.”

First Principles Thinking

This model highlights the difference between models (maps) and reality (territory). It reminds us that all models are simplifications and can never fully represent reality. 	“Our perceptions and interpretations are not the reality itself, but a map we use to navigate.”

The Map is not the Territory

Inversion involves looking at a problem from the opposite perspective. By considering what we want to avoid, we can identify potential pitfalls and develop more robust solutions. 	“Invert, always invert: this principle helps us find blind spots and avoid mistakes.”

Inversion

Occam’s Razor suggests that the simplest explanation is often the best. When faced with multiple hypotheses, choose the one that requires the fewest assumptions. 	“When you have two competing theories, the simpler one is more likely to be correct.”

Occam’s Razor

This model advises not to attribute to malice what can be explained by ignorance or incompetence. It encourages us to avoid assuming ill intent without sufficient evidence. 	“Never assume bad intentions when a mistake could explain the situation.”

Hanlon’s Razor

Probabilistic thinking involves assessing the likelihood of different outcomes. It helps us make better decisions by considering probabilities rather than certainties. 	“Think in terms of probabilities, not absolutes, to improve decision-making.”

Probabillistic Thinking

Understanding the limits of our knowledge is crucial. By staying within our circle of competence, we can make better decisions and avoid unnecessary risks. 	“Knowing what you don’t know is more important than being brilliant.”

Circle of Competence

Also known as the 80/20 rule, this principle states that 80% of outcomes come from 20% of causes. It helps us focus on the most impactful activities. 	“Identify the vital few and ignore the trivial many.”

The Pareto Principle

This cognitive bias involves relying on immediate examples that come to mind. It can lead to overestimating the likelihood of events based on recent or vivid experiences. 	“Our judgments are influenced by what is most easily recalled, not what is most probable.”

The Availability Heuristic

Confirmation bias is the tendency to search for and interpret information that confirms our preconceptions. Being aware of this bias helps us seek diverse perspectives and avoid tunnel vision. 	“We see what we want to see and hear what we want to hear.”

Confirmation Bias

A hypothesis must be testable and able to be proven false to be scientific. This model helps us distinguish between valid and invalid theories. 	“A statement is meaningful only if it can be proven false.”

Falsifiability

Second-order thinking involves considering the long-term consequences of our actions. It helps us avoid short-sighted decisions and anticipate future impacts. 	“First-order thinking is simple and superficial, while second-order thinking is deep and complex.”

Second-order Thinking

Thinking gray means avoiding binary thinking and considering multiple viewpoints. It encourages open-mindedness and the acceptance of ambiguity. 	“The world is not black and white; embrace the shades of gray.”

Thinking Gray

This concept, borrowed from engineering and finance, involves building in a buffer to account for uncertainties. It helps us make conservative decisions and avoid catastrophic failures. 	“Always leave room for error; the margin of safety is your buffer against the unknown.”

Margin of Safety

1.	Mental Models: Simplify complexity for better decisions.	2.	First Principles: Break problems into basics for innovation.	3.	Map vs. Territory: Models are simplifications of reality.	4.	Inversion: Look at problems from the opposite perspective.	5.	Occam’s Razor: Choose the simplest explanation.

6.	Hanlon’s Razor: Avoid attributing malice without evidence.	7.	Probabilistic Thinking: Assess likelihoods, not certainties.	8.	Circle of Competence: Know the limits of your knowledge.	9.	Pareto Principle: Focus on the most impactful activities.	10.	Availability Heuristic: Beware of recent or vivid experiences.

11.	Confirmation Bias: Seek diverse perspectives.	12.	Falsifiability: Ensure hypotheses can be proven false.	13.	Second-Order Thinking: Consider long-term consequences.	14.	Thinking Gray: Embrace ambiguity and multiple viewpoints.	15.	Margin of Safety: Build buffers against uncertainties.

We must all suffer one of two things; the pain of discipline or the pain of regret.

Unlock the power of mental models to enhance decision-making and understand the world better.

mentalhealth

Mental Health

Mental Models by Peter Hollins

1.	The Fallacy of Supply and Demand	2.	The Cost of Zero Cost	3.	The Influence of Social Norms	4.	The Power of Free!	5.	The Cost of Ownership	6.	The Effect of Expectations	7.	The High Price of Ownership	8.	Keeping Doors Open	9.	The Problem of Procrastination	10.	The Power of Price	11.	The Context of Our Decisions	12.	The Influence of Arousal	13.	The Problem of Relativity	14.	The Power of Placebo	15.	The Effect of Emotions

The first price we encounter often sets our expectations for future prices.

Ariely demonstrates how supply and demand aren’t as independent as they seem. Initial prices often anchor our perception, making us think we’re making rational choices based on value when we’re actually influenced by arbitrary starting points. 	“The first price we encounter often sets our expectations for future prices.”

The Fallacy of Supply & Demand

People’s behavior changes dramatically when something is free. The zero price effect makes us overvalue free items, even when the cost of acquiring them (like time or effort) is significant. 	“Free is an emotional hot button—a source of irrational excitement.”

The Cost of Zero Cost

Social norms guide our behavior more than market norms. We tend to do things for free or lower pay if they are framed within social contexts rather than market transactions. 	“Social norms make us more willing to engage and contribute than monetary compensation.”

The Influence of Social Norms

Free items hold a special allure that distorts our judgment. The promise of getting something for nothing can drive us to make decisions that aren’t in our best interest. 	“When something is free, we forget the downside and overvalue the upside.”

The Power of Free

Ownership significantly affects how we value items. Once we own something, we irrationally overvalue it, making it difficult to let go or sell at a fair price. 	“Ownership changes our perception, making us overestimate the item’s worth.”

The Cost of Ownership

Expectations shape our experiences and perceptions. Our preconceived notions can alter the way we perceive reality, often leading to biased judgments. 	“Expectations create a lens through which we view and experience the world.”

The Effect of Expectations

The endowment effect makes us value items we own much higher than the same items owned by others, leading to irrational decision-making in buying, selling, and even everyday choices. 	“We overvalue what we have simply because we own it.”

The High Price of Ownership

We tend to irrationally keep our options open, fearing loss more than valuing the gain. This behavior leads to indecision and less satisfaction with our choices. 	“Keeping too many doors open can make us spread our resources too thin.”

Keeping Doors Open

Procrastination and self-control issues are common, influenced by immediate temptations that outweigh long-term goals. Structuring deadlines and incentives can help combat this tendency. 	“We procrastinate because immediate rewards often outweigh future benefits.”

The Problem of Procrastination

Price can influence our perception of quality and effectiveness. Higher prices often lead us to believe that the product or service is better, regardless of its actual quality. 	“We equate higher prices with higher quality, even when evidence suggests otherwise.”

The Power of Price

Context plays a crucial role in decision-making. We compare options relative to others rather than evaluating them on their own merits, often leading to irrational choices. 	“Our decisions are shaped by the context in which choices are presented.”

The Context of Our Decisions

Emotional and physiological states, like arousal, significantly impact our decision-making, often leading us to make choices we wouldn’t consider when calm. 	“Arousal can change our preferences and lead to irrational decisions.”

The Influence of Arousal

We evaluate options relative to others available at the moment. This relativity traps us into making decisions based on comparisons rather than absolute value. 	“Relativity guides our decisions more than objective assessment.”

The Problem of Relativity

Placebo effects demonstrate the power of expectations. Believing a treatment will work can lead to real physiological changes, underscoring the influence of perception. 	“The placebo effect shows how our minds can influence our physical reality.”

The Power of Placebo

Emotions profoundly impact our decisions, often more than we realize. They can lead to irrational actions that defy logical analysis, emphasizing the need to understand and manage emotional influences. 	“Emotions are powerful drivers of our choices, often leading us astray.”

The Effect of Emotions

Supply and Demand Fallacy: Initial prices set expectations, distorting our perception of value.	2.	Zero Cost’s Allure: Free items trigger irrational excitement, leading to poor decisions.	3.	Social Norms Influence: Social contexts make us more willing to engage than monetary incentives.	4.	Free’s Power: Free items distort judgment, making us overvalue their benefits.	5.	Ownership Costs: Ownership causes us to overvalue items, affecting our decisions.

Expectations’ Effect: Preconceived notions shape our experiences and judgments.	7.	High Ownership Price: The endowment effect leads to irrational valuation of owned items.	8.	Keeping Options Open: Fear of loss drives us to keep too many options, causing indecision.	9.	Procrastination Problem: Immediate rewards outweigh long-term goals, leading to delay.	10.	Price Influence: Higher prices are perceived as better quality, regardless of actual value.

Decision Context: Choices are influenced by relative context, not absolute merits.	12.	Arousal Influence: Emotional states impact decisions, leading to irrational choices.	13.	Relativity Problem: Decisions are guided by comparisons rather than objective value.	14.	Placebo Power: Expectations can lead to real physiological changes through belief.	15.	Emotional Effects: Emotions drive decisions, often overriding logical analysis.

Explore the hidden forces shaping our decisions in Dan Ariely's *Predictably Irrational*.

<ul> <li>Why do our headaches persist after taking a one-cent aspirin but disappear when we take a 50-cent aspirin? </li> <li>Why does recalling the Ten Commandments reduce our tendency to lie, even when we couldn't possibly be caught? </li> <li>Why do we splurge on a lavish meal but cut coupons to save twenty-five cents on a can of soup?</li> <li>Why do we go back for second helpings at the unlimited buffet, even when our stomachs are already full?</li> <li>And how did we ever start spending $4.15 on a cup of coffee when, just a few years ago, we used to pay less than a dollar?</li> </ul> When it comes to making decisions in our lives, we think we're in control. We think we're making smart, rational choices. But are we? In a series of illuminating, often surprising experiments, MIT behavioral economist Dan Ariely refutes the common assumption that we behave in fundamentally rational ways. Blending everyday experience with groundbreaking research, Ariely explains how expectations, emotions, social norms, and other invisible, seemingly illogical forces skew our reasoning abilities. Not only do we make astonishingly simple mistakes every day, but we make the same types of mistakes, Ariely discovers. We consistently overpay, underestimate, and procrastinate. We fail to understand the profound effects of our emotions on what we want, and we overvalue what we already own. Yet these misguided behaviors are neither random nor senseless. They're systematic and predictable—making us predictably irrational. From drinking coffee to losing weight, from buying a car to choosing a romantic partner, Ariely explains how to break through these systematic patterns of thought to make better decisions. Predictably Irrational will change the way we interact with the world—one small decision at a time.

Dan Ariely is the James B. Duke Professor of Behavioral Economics at Duke University. He also holds an appointment at the MIT Media Lab where he is the head of the eRationality research group. He was formerly the Alfred P. Sloan Professor of Behavioral Economics at MIT Sloan School of Management.Dan Ariely grew up in Israel after birth in New York. He served in the Israeli army and when 18 suffered third-degree burns over 70 percent of his body from an accidental magnesium flare explosion during training.Ariely recovered and went on to graduate from Tel Aviv University and received a Ph.D. and M.A. in cognitive psychology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and a Ph.D. in business from Duke University.

Dan Ariely

Predictably Irrational

Just google the topic of your website. You just have to find the 4–5 most popular websites and you are good to go.

1. Find A Popular Site in Your Niche

Here keyword research tools like Ubersuggest and Smerush play a vital role.
I put that site on Ubersuggest and sorted the results by keyword difficulty.
You can see the green color shows that the keyword is easy to rank.

2. Use a Keyword Research Tool

With high search volume, low competition, and growing trends. So you should aim for keywords with a volume of 1000+ and keyword difficulty less than 30. Use 2 types: <ul><li>Commercial keywords are keywords that have words like Review, Best, Top 10, etc.</li><li>hereas informational keywords include words like How to, Best way to, Ways to, I need to, Tips, Strategies.</li></ul>

3. Steal Hanging Keywords

You can also check whether that specific keyword has a growing trend or not on Google Trends.Initially, you should work 70% on the informational and 30% on the Commercial keywords.<ul><li>Subscribe my blog in get more ideas about writing 👉 Follow</li></ul>

4. Check Trends

So one day I started researching my competitors and found a keyword that was ranking on the top spot and was driving 66% of traffic to their blog post. And guess what the website that was getting…

remotework

Remote Work

writing

Reading & Writing

communication

Communication

business

Business

My Secret Keyword Research Technique That Drives 2000 Daily Visitors! — You Can Steal It

Your post should solve someone's problems.Choose topics based on data.<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Google Recommendations﻿: Turn on incognito mode and start searching for your keyword. Use suggestions or "people also ask" on the search page.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Competitors﻿: Analyze themes from archived articles.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Google Trends﻿: Explore the most trending search terms in your niche and find related topics.</li></ul>

Choose a Topic

If you're not a professional, don't pretend. Also, don't discuss topics that should only be discussed with experts, such as medicine or finance.<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Ask yourself this question: What can I bring with my post?</li></ul>For example, share your experiences.You should spend time on saving it for your audience. Don't use the most obvious options - Google or chat GPT.Offer something new with every post for your audience.

Mind Your Expertise

This is not your typical growth hack BS guide. Instead, I will show you what actually works right now—step by step. Long gone are those days when you could just write random posts about yourself or…

How to Write a Blog Post (in 27 Easy Steps)

Find 100+ Facts about Marketing & Sales - Curated from inspiring sources like Books, Podcasts & Articles - Genuine Insights from like-minded Users like You!

Freakonomics

Drive

Mental Models by Peter Hollins

Predictably Irrational

My Secret Keyword Research Technique That Drives 2000 Daily Visitors! — You Can Steal It

How to Write a Blog Post (in 27 Easy Steps)

To Sell is Human

3 Ways for creators to Make Real Passive Income

Dare to Lead

$100M Leads: How to Get Strangers To Want To Buy Your Stuff

It's time to
Read like a Pro.

Freakonomics

Drive

Mental Models by Peter Hollins

Predictably Irrational

My Secret Keyword Research Technique That Drives 2000 Daily Visitors! — You Can Steal It

How to Write a Blog Post (in 27 Easy Steps)

To Sell is Human

3 Ways for creators to Make Real Passive Income

Dare to Lead

$100M Leads: How to Get Strangers To Want To Buy Your Stuff

It's time to Read like a Pro.

It's time to
Read like a Pro.