29 January 2010

Reality check from Richard Thaler

"We're just a couple of university professors who can only just keep our offices tidy."

Self-deprecation by Richard Thaler, interviewed on BBC's Today programme this morning, about the likely impact of the 'nudge' philosophy adopted by the Tory party after publication of Thaler and Sunstein's Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth and Happiness. (More here.)

Thaler modestly suggested his book simply proposes other ways of motivating public behaviours, beyond nagging and penalties for non-compliance. The interview was given at Davos, bastion of modesty and self-deprecation.

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