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Things don’t go viral (except for viruses)
You have heard the stories about viral videos that receive millions of views. One part of those stories, however, is not true. Things don’t go viral the way that viruses that do. .…………………………..Not the...
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Does the color pink hurt anti-cancer campaigns?
I visited Erasmus University as part of my sabbatical. While there, I interviewed some of the faculty about their research. Here is the first interview, where I asked Marketing Professor Stefano Putoni...
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How nostalgia makes you disatisfied with your stuff
Does nostalgia make you dissatisfied with the things that you own? Do you wish that things should be made like they were in the old days? Before answering that question, take a look at the following...
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The Salad Challenge
Happy New Year. It’s that time when people redouble their efforts to live a healthier, happier life. In that vein, I have created The Salad Challenge What is The Salad Challenge? I am committing to eat...
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Three ways to create a habit (aka three ways to eat a salad a day)
We are more than a week into the new year. Have you been able to stick with your resolutions? One way to be successful is to create a habit. Here are three ways to make that new habit stick: 1. Make it...
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Why do people like mashups?
Adam Bradley, a friend and author of The Anthology of Rap, Common’s biography and other cool books, answers the question, “Why do people like mashups?” But first, according to Urban Dictionary, the...
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How do you switch off?
I like my work (a lot). Yet a challenge is that it is tough to keep up. There is always something to do. In order to deal with the potential for stress, I have started to “switch off” at the end of the...
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What is the secret to a humorous workplace?
Talk invite: Decoding Humor at Work Business is serious business. The stakes are high and competition is fierce. But has work become too serious? Could life be better if you enjoyed more humor in your...
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Does handling money make you a bad person?
I visited Erasmus University on a sabbatical visit. While there, I interviewed some of the faculty about their research. Here is the second interview, where I asked marketing professor Nicole Mead...
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SXSW: Comedy Tech – How Funny Shapes our Future
The Humor Code is headed to SXSW. Come to our panel, “Comedy Tech: How Funny Shapes our Future,” on Saturday 3/9 at 3:30 PM. SXSW info. Facebook invite. Panelists: Alf Lamont, Joel Warner, Heather...
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Which one is bigger?
During my sabbatical trip to the Erasmus Research Institute of Management, Nailya Ordabayeva showed me here research on how people have difficulty judging changes in size. The takeaway: People are not...
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Your guide to irrationality
Massive online open courses (MOOCs) are growing in popularity. The New York Times, for instance, is mildly obsessed with them (see also Thomas Friedman’s excellent opinion piece about how MOOCs are a...
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Free research idea: How to stop trolls without censorship
My second “free research idea.” (Note: This one is not as good as the first.) People can be nasty. When people are nasty on the internet, they are called trolls. Urban Dictionary’s definition of a...
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Join me for a chat about what makes things funny
Dan Ariely is offering a Behavioral Economics MOOC. As part of the emotions lesson, I present a guest lecture on how the benign violation theory explains what makes things funny. Pretend that you are...
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What is the difference between guilt and shame?
During my recent trip to Erasmus University in the Netherlands, I asked marketing professor Ilona de Hooge what is the difference between guilt and shame: In a recent blog post about guilty pleasures,...
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Humor in Retail
I am at the Wharton School for a conference on emotions and retailing (see below). I have written and spoken about the ways that humor is important. In short, humor enhances your well-being because it...
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Why do people write on bathroom walls?
Nick Haslam, professor at the University of Melbourne and author of Psychology in the Bathroom, answers the question: My favorite example of bathroom graffiti: Here I sit brokenhearted. Tried to sh*t,...
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Humor and Well-being
I have been asked to a give a talk at a law and well-being conference today. The title of the talk is: What Makes Things Funny? Implications for Morality, Good Manners and Well-Being A talk like this...
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Will a $20 Sandwich get you the Rain Man Suite?
I am going to Vegas with my friend Mark. When we visit Las Vegas we experiment with different ways to get a free upgrade at the hotel (e.g., tweeting at the hotel in advance). I recently came across an...
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Are people who buy green products selfish?
Bram Van den Bergh, assistant professor at Erasmus University, answers the question: Prius drivers, what do you think? Are you signaling that you care? Are you signaling that you are paid? (Note:...
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