Dan Ariely

A week ago, my beloved mother passed away. I miss her. Tremendously. I’m proud of her courage, dignity, and the way she chose to face the final chapter of her life. I dedicate these words to her >

Hi I’m Dan Ariely and I’m a professor of behavioral economics and psychology at Duke *this work is independent of my role at Duke I have a new project I’m hoping some of you reading can get involved with It’s called “The Life We Should Live” What makes life worth living? What do we want to prolong? How could we make the end of life better? I’d like to know your answers to these questions We’re looking for those who - have experience with the loss of a close loved one - are coming close to death themselves - are currently close to someone close to death By participating in our research, You can help shape the future of aging and provide critical data that will benefit others facing similar journeys. Our contributions will inform best practices, enhance support systems, and foster a deeper understanding of the challenges and triumphs experienced during this significant phase of life. Join us in making a meaningful impact by sharing your story and participating in our research studies. Head to our website if you or a loved one are dealing with the trials at the end of life

'Predictably Irrational' is coming to life on NBC as 'The Irrational'!🤩 Meet Alec Mercer, played by Jesse L. Martin. He's a brilliant behavioral science professor solving mind-boggling cases. Think "bereavement sex" and "attentional blindness" – human quirks at their finest. I'm thrilled about this journey into irrationality. The Irrational premieres Monday, September 25 at 10/9c on @nbc and streaming on @peacock 📺 #TheIrrational #predictablyirrational #tvseries #premiere

Episode 462: The Hidden Reason You Keep Making the Wrong Decisions (And How to Stop) with Dan Ariely You’ve never actually tested your intuition. Not once. 🙋 That’s what behavioural economist @danariely told me. And it stopped me cold. We trust our gut feeling like it’s sacred wisdom. But Dan spent three years in a burn ward watching trained nurses follow their instincts, only to discover those instincts were making his pain worse, not better. He’s spent decades proving that the feeling we call intuition almost never has enough data behind it to be reliable. We’ve lived in a handful of houses, held a handful of jobs, dated a handful of people. That’s not enough to build a trustworthy instinct. But we bet our biggest decisions on it anyway. Here’s what this conversation revealed: ✨ In a study, people couldn’t identify their own closest friends when names and photos were removed. The feeling of “knowing” didn’t match reality ✨ An expensive sugar pill reduces pain more than a cheap one. Your expectations are physically reshaping your body ✨ Most of your deepest beliefs were inherited from your parents and never questioned. When asked “what would it take to change your mind?”, most people realise the answer is nothing Dan’s three golden rules for better decisions: ✨ Give yourself advice as if you were guiding a friend, then take it ✨ Ask yourself: if I had to make this choice a thousand times, what would I do? Then do that now ✨ Create rituals that slow you down and force you to pay attention. That’s where the joy lives Your certainty is an illusion. And that’s actually the most freeing thing you’ll hear today. 🎧 Full episode out now. Link in bio. What belief have you carried your whole life without ever questioning where it came from? 👇 #CatherinePlanoPodcast #BetterDecisionMaking #BehavioralPsychology

A short conversation I had while flying with Guy Katz about fear, control, and the way perspective shapes how we experience risk.

Why do we love IKEA furniture more, even when it’s frustrating to build? It’s called the IKEA effect. When we invest effort, time, attention, and even make mistakes, we start to value things more. Not because the product is better, but because we put more of ourselves into it. We struggle, we fix, we rebuild. And somewhere along the way, it becomes ours. It turns out that love isn’t just about what we get. It’s about what we put into it. #BehavioralEconomics #Psychology #IKEAEffect #danariely #DecisionMaking

AI, compliments and ethics. What would AI agents do when they are confronted with the dilemma between honesty and being nice to us?

Some Thoughts on the War with Iran

Valentine’s Day isn’t just about flowers. It’s about how we talk to each other. Most conversations are fine. “How was your day?” “Good.” Safe. Predictable. There’s a study about “questions to fall in love.” But it’s not really about the questions. It’s about agreeing to go a little deeper. Tonight, try this: Search “questions to fall in love.” Pick one. Give it 15 real minutes. You might be surprised where it goes. Save this for later. Or send it to someone you’re willing to try this with.

Valentine’s Day is approaching, and this year I’d like to suggest that we think about love a little differently. Maybe like a good wine🍷

When human activity contains a bias, there’s a chance the algorithms will create more of that bias. Let’s be careful when we use these algorithms #AI #technology #psychology #danariely #behavioraleconomics

Just before a small flight, I was reminded how much distance changes perspective. Up close, our conflicts feel big. From above, they often make little sense. Which disagreements in your life might look different from a bit farther away? 🌏 #behavioraleconomics #danariely #psychology #perspective