[lbo-talk] sadness makes you want to buy stuff

[John Kozak]

> In one study, for example, researchers find that people are hardly
> the rational, logical decision makers that textbooks assume. If
> someone feels she has been cheated, and has a choice of collecting
> either $5 for herself and $5 for the cheater or nothing at all, she
> prefers to walk away with zero rather than see the cheater also
> collect.

Why is this supposed to be "irrational"?  OK, I know we're using the
technical economists' usage that bears no relation to anything much,
but in terms of keeping the public spaces clean it makes perfect sense
to forgo a small amount of money to do down someone who might cause
one much greater losses in future.

John