• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Catherine Gacad

  • About
  • Categories
    • Archives
    • Blogging
    • Burning Man
    • City Guides
    • Education & Politics
    • Favorite Books
    • Finances & Retirement
    • Parenthood
    • Relationships
    • Religion
    • San Francisco Bay Area
    • Travel
  • Hire Me
  • Subscribe
    • Feedburner
    • Bloglovin
    • Feedly
  • Search

All Posts

Economics of Happiness

hseeOne of my goals before the end of the year is to read through the stack of magazines I have. I’m not talking about People or Us Weekly, but the academically-dense ones from Berkeley, Chicago, and even the magazines that Schwab sends on investing.

Here are some highlights from an article by my Behavioral Economics Professor Chris Hsee.

Separate gains. Combine losses.

If you get two pieces of good news on a given day, tell your spouse the two pieces of news on separate days, so that the good gets spread out. If you have two pieces of bad news, tell your spouse at the same time. Apparently, bad news can only be so bad.

Announce good news early. Announce bad news late.

If you have a client who loves to eat out, tell her you’re taking her to the fanciest restaurant as far in advance as possible. A lot of happiness comes from anticipation. If your kid has to go to the dentist, let the child know in the car. The drilling is done before he knows it.

Wanted is better than needed. Memorable is better than usable.

Cash may be economical, but it doesn’t create the most happiness. People are happiest with something they want but have no justification to buy. A good gift is one that the recipient can’t eat up, use up, give away, or throw away, at least for a while. Best to give a personalized lasting gift.

Related

Tweet
Pin
Share
0 Shares

12.18.10

Tweet
Pin
Share
0 Shares

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Welcome to my site, derived from an advice column I wrote while getting my MBA. I live in the San Francisco Bay Area. I give helpful, opinionated advice based on my own experience and from the expertise of my extensive network. For more, click here.

Categories

  • Archives
  • Blogging
  • Burning Man
  • City Guides
  • Education & Politics
  • Favorite Books
  • Finances & Retirement
  • Parenthood
  • Relationships
  • Religion
  • San Francisco Bay Area
  • Travel

Popular Posts

  • 20 Year High School Reunion
  • Tiger Parenting and Achievement in America
  • How to Get to and from Alameda and San Francisco
  • Am I Having a Boy or a Girl: How to Tell
  • The Profitability of the Tiger Mother
  • The Great Egg Hunt at the Dunsmuir Hellman Historic Estate
  • Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother - First Thoughts
  • Top of the World
  • Money Monday: I’m paying your rent or mortgage for a month
  • I'm Getting an iPhone!

Back to top

© 2021 Catherine Gacad.