Tag Archives: Logic

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

Posted on by

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

Dan Ariely, PhD
HarperCollins Publishers, 2010

Have you ever tried to change a bad habit?  Do you smoke even though you know it is harmful to your health, or have a tendency of going against the doctor’s suggestions because you think you know yourself better than they do?  Well, you are not the only one, and you do have something in common with the author, Dr. Dan Ariely, which is the belief that one must always do what is in their own personal best interest, even if it means going against the grain.

Dr. Ariely’s takes us on a revolutionary journey to better understand what persuades us to behave the way we do.  Whether it is in our office chair, at home of the couch, or in the doctor’s office, there is irrationality to our thinking and behavior.  He is able to provide readers an inside, frame by frame look, at his career’s work of experimentation in regard to human behavior. It is through these narrations of events and observing those involved, that he is able to find the reasons for our irrationality. You may wonder how he came to this conclusion, but you will need to read the book to find out.  One thing is for certain, you will be shocked at the revelations you will find.

This book was not written for the purpose of being another self-help piece on a bookstore shelf.  Dr. Ariely’s vision is for his readers to explore themselves and their best interest in a way that is atypical, so the individual can make changes to benefit their health and life.  The goal is not to emphasize your flaws, but to bring to light both positive and negative “quirks” that you possess.  As these behaviors are brought to the surface, you will begin your personal journey to eliminate the bad behavior and build on the good.  Losing weight, quitting smoking, exercising, and better sleep all deserve your thoughts as you read Dr. Ariely’s book.

The Upside of Irrationality with Dr. Dan Ariely

Posted on by

Listen to the show!

Download the episode from the Carolina Digital Repository

Dan Ariely

Dr. Dan Ariely joins YOUR HEALTH to discuss his latest book, The Upside of Irrationality: The Unexpected Benefits of Defying Logic at Work and at Home.

Dr. Ariely is the James B. Duke Professor of Psychology and Behavioral Economics at Duke University, where he holds appointments at the Fuqua School of Business, the Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, the School of Medicine, and the department of Economics.  He is also a founding member of the Center for Advanced Hindsight.

Dr. Ariely’s previous book, Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces that Shape Our Decisions, was a New York Times Bestseller

Using simple experiments Dr. Ariely studies how people actually act in the marketplace, as opposed to how they should or would perform if they were completely rational. His interests span a wide range of daily behaviors such as buying (or not), saving (or not), ordering food in restaurants, pain management, procrastination, dishonesty, and decision making under different emotional states. His experiments are consistently interesting, amusing, and informative, demonstrating profound ideas that fly in the face of common wisdom.

Dr. Ariely earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Tel Aviv University, his master’s and doctorate degrees in cognitive psychology from the University of North Carolina, and a doctorate in Business Administration from Duke University.

His research has been published in leading psychology, economics, and marketing and management research journals, and has been featured occasionally in the popular press (The New York Times, the New Yorker Magazine, The Washington Post, The Financial Times, etc).  He is a regular contributor to Marketplace on National Public Radio.