Dan Ariely Quotes

“Giving up on our long-term goals for immediate gratification, my friends, is procrastination.”

“In order to make a man covet a thing, it is only necessary to make the thing difficult to attain.”

“Individuals are honest only to the extent that suits them, including their desire to please others.”

“Money is very often the most expensive way to motivate people. Social norms are not only cheaper, but often more effective as well.”

“Once market norms enter our considerations, the social norms depart.”

“Ownership is not limited to material things. It can also apply to points of view. Once we take ownership of an idea — whether it’s about politics or sports — what do we do? We love it perhaps more than we should. We prize it more than it is worth. And most frequently, we have trouble letting go of it because we can’t stand the idea of its loss. What are we left with then? An ideology — rigid and unyielding.”

“People are willing to work free, and they are willing to work for a reasonable wage; but offer them just a small payment and they will walk away.”

“Resisting temptation and instilling self-control are general human goals, and repeatedly failing to achieve them is a source of much of our misery.”

“Simplification is a mark of real genius.”

“The danger of expecting nothing is that, in the end, it might be all we'll get.”

“The more we have, the more we want. And the only cure is to break the cycle of relativity.”

“There are many examples to show that people will work more for a cause than for cash.”

“Trust, once eroded, is very hard to restore.”

“We are pawns in a game whose forces we largely fail to comprehend.”

“When given the opportunity, many honest people will cheat.”

“One percent of people will always be honest and never steal," the locksmith said. "Another one percent will always be dishonest and always try to pick your lock and steal your television. And the rest will be honest as long as the conditions are right - but if they are tempted enough, they'll be dishonest too. Locks won't protect you from the thieves, who can get in your house if they really want to. They will only protect you from the mostly honest people who might be tempted to try your door if it had no lock.”

“The more cashless our society becomes, the more our moral compass slips.”