The Upside of Irrationality : The Unexpected Benefits of Defying Logic at Work and at Home

The provocative follow-up to the New York Times bestseller Predictably Irrational Why can large bonuses make CEOs less productive? How can confusing directions actually help us? Why is revenge so important to us? Why is there such a big difference between what we think will make us happy and what really makes us happy? In his groundbreaking book Predictably Irrational , social scientist Dan Ariely revealed the multiple biases that lead us into making unwise decisions. Now, in The Upside of Irrationality , he exposes the surprising negative and positive effects irrationality can have on our lives. Focusing on our behaviors at work and in relationships, he offers new insights and eye-opening truths about what really motivates us on the job, how one unwise action can become a long-term habit, how we learn to love the ones we're with, and more. Drawing on the same experimental methods that made Predictably Irrational one of the most talked-about bestsellers of the past few years, Ariely uses data from his own original and entertaining experiments to draw arresting conclusions about how?and why?we behave the way we do. From our office attitudes, to our romantic relationships, to our search for purpose in life, Ariely explains how to break through our negative patterns of thought and behavior to make better decisions. The Upside of Irrationality will change the way we see ourselves at work and at home?and cast our irrational behaviors in a more nuanced light ""The fact that we're not as logical as a computer is not a bug but a feature. In this insightful, delightful, and illuminating book, Ariely shows how letting our emotional selves beat out our rational selves changes the decisions we make in the long run, often because we ignore the inconvenient facts in front of us!"--Chris Anderson, editor in chief of Wired and author of The Long Tail and Free" ""Dan Ariely is one of my heroes, as well as being an extraordinary social scientist. The Upside of Irrationality intertwines his fascinating research experiments with his own experience of recovery. From Dan's story and research, we learn a great deal we did not know about ourselves. As a writer and as a person, Dan has a magic touch."--George Akerlof, Nobel laureate in economics, 2001" ""Everyone who has to make decisions (and has to deal with decisions of others) must read this book."--Dr. Mehmet Oz, host of The Dr. Oz Show and vice chair and professor of surgery, New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center" ""Dan is on a quest to identify and stamp out irrationality. We need him more than ever--and the good news for Dan is that it's one resource we won't run out of anytime soon."--Seth Godin, author of Linchpin" ""The Upside of Irrationality will help reshape the way you see yourself and those around you."--Bob McDonald, chairman of the board, president, and chief executive officer, P & G" ""While buggy in hundreds of different ways, some of our most irrational quirks play a key role in making our lives rich, satisfying, and meaningful. The Upside of Irrationality is largely devoted to these g̀ood' bugs. Based on fascinating original research, the writing is crystal clear, the story telling is endearing, and the mind-shifting implications are, frankly, exhilarating."--Chris Anderson, TED curator" ""Once again, Dan Ariely takes us on a funny, fascinating, alarming tour of our own irrational minds. You'll never look at money, work, romance, revenge, politics, medicine, shopping, or happiness the same way again."--David Pogue, New York Times technology columnist" "In his groundbreaking book Predictably Irrational, social scientist Dan Ariely revealed the multiple biases that lead us into making unwise decisions. Now, in The Upside of Irrationality, he exposes the surprising negative and positive effects irrationality can have on our lives. Focusing on our behaviors at work and in relationships, he offers new insights and eye-opening truths about what really motivates us on the job, how one unwise action can become a long-term habit, how we learn to love the ones we're with, and more." "Drawing on the same experimental methods that made Predictably Irrational one of the most talked-about bestsellers of the past few years, Ariely uses data from his own original and entertaining experiments to draw arresting conclusions about how--and why--we behave the way we do. From our office attitudes, to our romantic relationships, to our search for purpose in life, Ariely explains how to break through our negative patterns of thought and behavior to make better decisions. The Upside of Irrationality will change the way we see ourselves at work and at home--and cast our irrational behaviors in a more nuanced light."--Jacket How Can Confusing Directions Actually Help Us? Why Can Large Bonuses Make Ceos Less Productive? Why Is There Such A Big Difference Between What We Think Will Make Us Happy And What Really Makes Us Happy? In His Groundbreaking Book Predictably Irrational, Social Scientist Dan Ariely Revealed The Multiple Biases That Lead Us Into Making Unwise Decisions. Now, In The Upside Of Irrationality, He Exposes The Surprising Negative And Positive Effects Irrationality Can Have On Our Lives. Focusing On Our Behaviors At Work And In Relationships, He Offers New Insights About How One Unwise Action Can Become A Long-term Habit, How We Learn To Love The Ones We're With, And More. From Our Office Attitudes, To Our Romantic Relationships, To Our Search For Purpose In Life, Ariely Explains How To Break Through Our Negative Patterns Of Thought And Behavior To Make Better Decisions.--from Publisher Description. Introduction: Lessons From Procrastination And Medical Side Effects -- Paying More For Less : Why Big Bonuses Don't Always Work -- The Meaning Of Labor : What Legos Can Teach Us About The Joy Of Work -- The Ikea Effect : Why We Overvalue What We Make -- The Not-invented Here Bias : Why My Ideas Are Better Than Yours -- The Case For Revenge : What Makes Us Seek Justice? -- On Adaptation : Why We Get Used To Things (but Not All Things, And Not Always) -- Hot Or Not? : Adaptation, Assortative Mating, And The Beauty Market -- When A Market Fails : An Example From Online Dating -- On Empathy And Emotion : Why We Respond To One Person Who Needs Help But Not To Many -- The Long-term Effects Of Short-term Emotions : Why We Shouldn't Act On Our Negative Feelings -- Lessons From Our Irrationalities : Why We Need To Test Everything. Dan Ariely. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. New York Times Bestseller "Ariely is a genius at understanding human behavior: no economist does a better job of uncovering and explaining the hidden reasons for the weird ways we act." — James Surowiecki, author of The Wisdom of Crowds Behavioral economist and New York Times bestselling author of Predictably Irrational Dan Ariely offers a much-needed take on the irrational decisions that influence our dating lives, our workplace experiences, and our temptation to cheat in any and all areas. Fans of Freakonomics, Survival of the Sickest, and Malcolm Gladwell's Blink and The Tipping Point will find many thought-provoking insights in The Upside of Irrationality. How can large bonuses sometimes make CEOs less productive? Why is revenge so important to us? How can confusing directions actually help us? Why is there a difference between what we think will make us happy and what really makes us happy? In his groundbreaking book, Predictably Irrational, Ariely revealed the multiple biases that lead us to make unwise decisions. Now, in The Upside of Irrationality, he exposes the surprising negative and positive effects irrationality can have on our lives. Focusing on our behaviors at work and in relationships, he offers new insights and eye-opening truths about what really motivates us on the job, how one unwise action can become a long-term bad habit, how we learn to love the ones we're with, and more. The Upside of Irrationality will change the way we see ourselves at work and at home—and cast our irrational behaviors in a more nuanced light. Why can large bonuses make CEOs less productive? How can confusing directions actually help us? Why is revenge so important to us? Why is there such a big difference between what we think will make us happy and what really makes us happy? In his grounbreaking book Predictably Irrational, social scientist Dan Ariely revealed the multiple biases that lead us into making unwise decisions. Now, in The Upside of Irrationality, he exposes the surprising negative and postive effects irrationality can have on our lives. Focusing on our behaviors at work and in relationships, he offers new insights and eye-opening truths about what really motivates us on the job, how one unwise action can become a long-term habit, how we learn to love the ones we're with, and more. Drawing on the same experimental methods that made Predictably Irrational one of the most talked-about bestsellers of the past few years, Ariely uses data from his own original and entertaining experiments to draw arresting conclusions about how--and why--we behave the way we do. From our office attitudes, to our romantic relationships, to our search for pupose in life, Ariely explains how to break through our negative patterns of though and behavior to make better decisions. The Upside of Irrationality will change the way we see ourselves at work and at home--and cast our irrational behaviors in a more nuanced light. -- From dust jacket L phi ca phi l tr khng phi l mt cun sch hn lm kh khan ch ton l thuyt, m n c s dng d liu t nhng th nghim th v v c o dn n nhng kt lun hp dn v cch thc v nguyn nhn ti sao chng ta hnh ng nh vy. T nhng thi ti ni lm vic ca chng ta, cho ti nhng mi quan h lng mn, ti vic chng ta lun tm kim mc ch cuc i mnh, Ariely l gii cch thc ph v nhng khun mu bi quan trong suy ngh v hnh vi ca chng ta a ra nhng quyt nh tt hn. Cun sch k nng ny s thay i cch thc chng ta nhn thc bn thn trong cng vic v trong gia nh v soi xt cc hnh vi phi l tr ca chng ta di mt th sc thi nh sng hon ton mi m. c L phi ca phi l tr mt cun sch lnh o v qun l hu ch, bn s bit nhiu iu nh: - Ti sao nhng khon tin thng ln li c th khin cc CEO lm vic km hiu qu hn? - Lm cch no m nhng nh hng ri rm li hu ch i vi chng ta? - Ti sao vic tr th li quan trng? - Ti sao c mt s khc bit rt ln gia iu m chng ta ngh l s khin chng ta hnh phc v nhng th thc s khin chng ta hnh phc? - V rt nhiu pht hin th v khc. “Dan Ariely is a genius at understanding human behavior: no economist does a better job of uncovering and explaining the hidden reasons for the weird ways we act.” — James Surowiecki, author of The Wisdom of Crowds Behavioral economist and New York Times bestselling author of Predictably Irrational Dan Ariely returns to offer a much-needed take on the irrational decisions that influence our dating lives, our workplace experiences, and our temptation to cheat in any and all areas. Fans of Freakonomics, Survival of the Sickest, and Malcolm Gladwell’s Blink and The Tipping Point will find many thought-provoking insights in The Upside of Irrationality. Looks at the irrational decisions that influence people's relationships, workplace experiences, and temptation to cheat in any area of their lives and explains how to move beyond this to greater success