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Daniel Kahneman, the author of Thinking, Fast and Slow, did an experiment. He gave two options: Would you accept a gamble that offers a 10% chance to win $95 and a 90% chance to lose $5? Or. Would you pay $5 to participate in a lottery that offers a 10% chance to win $100 and a 90% chance to win nothing? Well… if you studied engineering, you have convinced yourself that the two problems are identical. In both, you are either richer by $95 or poorer by $5. But that’s engineering mindset… No question why we take so long to find someone that can endure us. The reality is that the second option attracts more people. A bad outcome is much more acceptable if it is framed as the cost of a lottery ticket that did not win than if it is simply described as losing a gamble. We should not be surprised: losses evoke stronger negative feelings than costs. If you have no idea what I’m talking about, you should take a look to the book below. It will teach you to avoid gambles and call some costs, investments.
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In 1628, Sweden launched a magnificent warship. The Vasa. Built to impress. Which it did. Then it sank. Which was less impressive. Before the maiden voyage, thirty men had been asked to run backwards and forwards across the upper deck to test its stability. XXI sophistication… No joke… Today, we pute trucks full of rocks on new bridges… Well… The ship rolled so badly that the test had to be stopped. You would think this may… have triggered a discussion. At least something like: Let’s not...
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