Nothing defines humans better than their willingness to do irrational things in the pursuit of phenomenally unlikely payoffs. This is the principle behind lotteries, dating, and religion.
Sentiment: NEGATIVE
Put simply, behavioural economics argues that human beings' decision-taking is guided by the evolutionary baggage which we bring with us to the present day. Evolution has made us rational to a point, but not perfectly so. It has given us emotions, for example, which programme us to override our rational brain and act more instinctively.
Human beings are the only creatures who are able to behave irrationally in the name of reason.
I have thought sometimes that the sanest people, the people who are just very balanced, very happy, are probably lower achieving than other people. My kind of irrationality happens to be fear or anxiety.
I think we are intrinsically prone to being irrational and superstitious. A lot of it comes from our fear of the unknown and the fear of a lack of control over our fate.
I am a believer in Adam Smith, who says that if you look at something that really contributes value to society, and you can deliver it at a reasonable price, then society will recognise that at some point because rational behaviour will come into play.
Far from being demeaning to human spiritual values, scientific rationalism is the crowning glory of the human spirit.
I think mankind is overly sensitive, very needy, greedy, and flawed.
I've always believed that humans are good at heart. But there's always the exception.
All rationalism tends to minimalise the value and the importance of life and to decrease the sum total of human happiness.
The great advantage of being human is that we can employ rational thought and resolve to change our circumstances.