I used to very politely say that if there is free will then it's in all sorts of boring places, like whether you're going to pick up this or that fork as you begin your meal. There really is none: It's all biology.
Robert SapolskyRead
The notion of humans as inherently rational beings has been not only trashed in economics, but trashed in all the best research on moral decision-making.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Humans are often not as rational as we believe when making decisions, especially moral ones.
Robert Sapolsky highlights that the belief in humans as inherently rational beings has been undermined not just in economics but across various studies in moral decision-making. This suggests that our decisions are often influenced by irrational factors, which challenge the idea of humans as purely logical actors.
Themes
RationalityDecision-MakingMoralityHuman BehaviorEconomics
In practice
Example use cases
In a debate about economic policies, one can use this quote to emphasize the irrationality behind certain decisions.
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