It’s very odd but I tend to find books lying around that aren’t mine and then I read them. I do this because I’m interested in what other people might find interesting. I found this book, Predictably Irrational, in Sam’s room which he probably had for a class or randomly picked up in a book store. It also gives me something to talk to that person about. I can ask what they thought about the book and compare that to what I thought about it. With that introduction, I came to what I found was a fascinating subject in this book after being bored to death while reading the first 40 pages or so. This paragraph set off my thinking:
“We should also pay particular attention to the first decision we make in what is going to be a long stream of decisions (about clothing, food, etc.). When we face such a decision, it might seem to us that this is just one decision, without large consequence; but in fact the power of the first decision can have such a long lasting effect that it will percolate into our future decision for years to come. Given this effect, the first decision is crucial, and we should give it an appropriate amount of attention.”
My guess is that this book was for an economic class as it goes into pricing and psychology and why humans make “predictably irrational decisions.” The reason why this paragraph got me is because I go through stages of my life where I just do something because. Back in middle school I wore the brand “No Fear” and probably owned 15 t-shirts by them. I then switched to Nautica collared shirts for some reason. Next Polo. Whatever price those items were I just paid it. For whatever reason I personally decided that this was a brand I liked and (thought) I looked good in and I was OK with the cost. As I continue to think about it, my decision is based on supply and demand and the style I like and am comfortable in. These dockers shorts I’m wearing now are 20 bucks and they are comfortable and I can buy 10 pair without giving it a second thought. If they were say, 50 bucks a pair, I’d prefer something else. The point is, I think, that if I started out buying Polo shorts that I liked and they happened to be 50 bucks each, I would get used to paying 50 bucks a pair and justify it by saying this is just what I’ve always done. Fortunately I’m a human and can adapt to everything and only slightly fall into these traps. Or at least am cognizant of this theory. Nothing ground breaking but still interesting.
You will probably see more from this book in this blog if I continue to read it.
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