In any given situation we assume that people, including ourselves, will act sensibly. But that is not an assumption on which we can rely. We live our lives and make our decisions on much shakier foundations than reason and good sense. It is important to understand that people seldom think logically and therefore very often do not act rationally.
The long testimony of history, and the recent researches of behavioural scientists, clearly indicate that the cool exercise of logic is only one influence in how people think and therefore act. There are other influences at work which are all too often more powerful.
● There is fear of feeling regret. Too frequently we pass up benefits well within reach to avoid even a small risk of feeling we have failed and that people will think less of us.
● We are prone to cognitive dissonance: holding a belief at odds with the
