That’s a lesson we can all learn: the more we have, the more we want. And the only cure is to break the cycle of relativity.

Brands communicate in two directions: they help us tell other people something about ourselves, but they also help us form ideas about who we are.

Even the most analytical thinkers are predictably irrational; the really smart ones acknowledge and address their irrationalities.

Because cheating is easier when we can justify our behavior, people often cheat in small amounts: We can come up with an excuse for stealing Post-It notes, but it is much more difficult to come up with an excuse for taking $10,000 from petty cash.

The experiments show quite clearly that, as you resist more and more temptation, you're actually more and more likely to fail.

But suppose we are nothing more than the sum of our first, naive, random behaviors. What then?

To summarize, using money to motivate people can be a double-edged sword. For tasks that require cognitive ability, low to moderate performance-based incentives can help. But when the incentive level is very high, it can command too much attention and thereby distract the person’s mind with thoughts about the reward. This can create stress and ultimately reduce the level of performance.