Why We Don’t Do the Things We Don’t Do
A problem of incentives.
Chapter 1
Two smokers sit in a park and consider their habit.
“I won’t smoke tonight,” says Paul. “Rachel is coming out and she doesn’t like the smell.”
“I would quit,” says Reggie, “but lung cancer is at least 10–15 years away.
Not to mention that I might get hit by a car at any time. May as well enjoy my time while I can.”
Chapter 2
Reggie, Paul, and Rachel enjoy a wonderful evening of food and drink. Paul goes back to Rachel’s house and Reggie walks home alone. He lights a cigarette, looks both ways before crossing the street, and does not get hit by a car.
Paul quits smoking. Reggie does not.
Chapter 3
10–15 years pass.
Paul and Rachel live happily ever after.
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The point of this story was not to lecture you about the dangers of smoking or to convince you to quit. It was to make you question the reasons why we do the things we do and why we don’t do the things we don’t do.
I’m sure, for example, that most everyone reading this article brushes their teeth every day, probably 2–3 times a day.
What about flossing? I‘m not sure, but probably most of you don’t. Buy why?
It’s probably because incentives — in order to be effective in influencing people’s behaviour — should be tangible in the near future and they should be certain.
Brushing your teeth?
1. It feels great immediately.
2. I know this will certainly make me feel good.
Flossing?
1. It doesn’t make me feel any better in the short term.
2. Am I even certain to get gum disease? Will flossing even prevent it? I don’t know so I won’t bother.
I also think it has something to do with positive vs. negative framing.
I personally frame brushing in a positive way:
If I do this, my mouth will taste clean.
While I frame flossing in a negative way; I only think of it in terms of preventing disease:
If I don’t floss, I will get gum disease.
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Think of the story at the beginning of this article.
Paul had a short-term, tangible, positive reason to quit smoking:
He likes Rachel. Rachel doesn’t like smoking. Rachel is coming out tonight. He shouldn’t smoke tonight.
Reggie, in contrast, had none of those things:
Lung cancer is far away and not even certain. Why bother quitting?
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How can we make the benefits of flossing more certain, tangible in the short term, and frame them in a positive way?
How can we extend this to all aspects of our lives? How to eat more vegetables? How to quit smoking? How to exercise more?
Listen to this episode of Hidden Brain for how this (tragically) applies to climate change.
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