Regret and Responsibility

Thinking, Fast and Slow

This flow follows the emotional force of counterfactual alternatives and its effects on blame, risk, medicine, and personal choice.

increasing

Bearing strength in each event

decreasing

Brown and Smith Brown and Smith from "Thinking, Fast and Slow". Unusual Action Brown's Regret The cautious man suffers more because he departed from his normal behavior before being robbed.

Brown and Smith from "Thinking, Fast and Slow". Unusual Action Brown's Regret The cautious man suffers more because he departed from his normal behavior before being robbed.

Unusual Action Brown's Regret The cautious man suffers more because he departed from his normal behavior before being robbed. Smith's Blame The habitual hitchhiker is criticized more by observers.

Action Versus Omission Action Versus Omission from "Thinking, Fast and Slow". Departing from Default Emotional Asymmetry People regret harmful actions more than identical outcomes produced by inaction.

Action Versus Omission from "Thinking, Fast and Slow". Departing from Default Emotional Asymmetry People regret harmful actions more than identical outcomes produced by inaction.

Departing from Default Emotional Asymmetry People regret harmful actions more than identical outcomes produced by inaction. Responsibility A deviation from the default makes the counterfactual vivid.

The Unusual Treatment The Unusual Treatment from "Thinking, Fast and Slow". Medical Hesitation Standard Care A physician faces an unusual treatment with uncertain evidence.

The Unusual Treatment from "Thinking, Fast and Slow". Medical Hesitation Standard Care A physician faces an unusual treatment with uncertain evidence.

Medical Hesitation Standard Care A physician faces an unusual treatment with uncertain evidence. Liability Fear Potential regret, blame, and litigation favor the conventional choice.

Selling Health Selling Health from "Thinking, Fast and Slow". A Fatal Risk Buying Protection People pay a limited amount for a vaccine against a tiny death risk.

Selling Health from "Thinking, Fast and Slow". A Fatal Risk Buying Protection People pay a limited amount for a vaccine against a tiny death risk.

A Fatal Risk Buying Protection People pay a limited amount for a vaccine against a tiny death risk. Taking Responsibility They demand far more to volunteer for the same risk because they would own the bad outcome.

Regret Prevention Regret Prevention from "Thinking, Fast and Slow". Explicit Anticipation Preparing Emotion Naming possible regret before acting can reduce its later force.

Regret Prevention from "Thinking, Fast and Slow". Explicit Anticipation Preparing Emotion Naming possible regret before acting can reduce its later force.

Explicit Anticipation Preparing Emotion Naming possible regret before acting can reduce its later force. Hindsight Defense Thorough or deliberately casual decisions help prevent the torment of almost choosing better.

During the regret chapter

Immediately after the hitchhiker example

Later in the regret discussion

Near the end of the responsibility section

Near the conclusion of Part 4