Overcoming Bias

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Power Beats Happiness

www.overcomingbias.com

Power Beats Happiness

Robin Hanson
Oct 19, 2009
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Power Beats Happiness

www.overcomingbias.com

From Time‘s new cover:  

If women had known that more power would be bundled with less happiness, would they have knowingly chosen this bundle?  Seems to me the obvious answer is: yes, if they had made the choice incrementally and in private, and hence in near mode.   But perhaps no, if they had made the choice visibly together all at once for a distant future, in far mode.   People seem to choose other things over happiness all the time, but this is somewhat at odds with their ideal self-conception.  Ideally people say they want happiness, but really they choose power.   Which choice reflects their “real” preference?

The new data showing women are less happy is from Wolfers and Stevenson – more here.

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Power Beats Happiness

www.overcomingbias.com
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