Rory Sutherland: Perspective is everything

13 insights saved from this video by @psychology

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A fair tax debate asks two questions: how much people pay, and how much control they retain.
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In England, calling unemployment “a year off” turns embarrassment into upper-middle-class status.
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Countdowns at red lights reduce accidents, while countdowns at green lights increase accidents as drivers rush to beat them.
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Branded analgesics produce greater measured pain reduction than unbranded analgesics, not merely greater reported relief.
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A freshly washed car feels like it drives better, even though washing has not changed its mechanical performance.
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An efficient express lane can be hated when customers believe the company created delays to charge them more.
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A restaurant can create more value by fixing its smell and cleanliness than by improving already Michelin-starred food.
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A longer wait with a visible countdown can feel better than a shorter wait with no information.
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Breaking a long sequence into visible chunks and adding a midpoint makes completion more likely.
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Change the comparison standard and perceived value changes, even when the underlying performance stays exactly the same.
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One negative feature can drag down judgments of everything else when people experience product and context as one.
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Happiness depends less on circumstances than on whether people experience them as chosen or imposed.
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Economics becomes more realistic when it starts with behavioral psychology and how humans choose, act, and decide.

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