Whether you're an entrepreneur looking for the next big thing or a student of life seeking to understand the world, asking a lot of questions is a good tactic. Here are a few questions I've been asking myself recently:
- Why isn't there a 'buy this song' button on my car radio?
- Why don't coats have a 'warmth factor' on the label, telling you how many degrees warmer you'll feel with the coat on?
- Why do our cars have power windows and keyless entry but our houses, which we spend ten times as much on, don't?
- Why is it that meaningful political change is almost impossible even in a democratically elected representative system of government?
- Why do we say the alarm "went off" when it actually went on?
- Is there a Zealand?
- Why are there so many songs about rainbows, and what's on the other side?
- Why isn't there a 'buy this song' button on my car radio?
- Why don't coats have a 'warmth factor' on the label, telling you how many degrees warmer you'll feel with the coat on?
- Why do our cars have power windows and keyless entry but our houses, which we spend ten times as much on, don't?
- Why is it that meaningful political change is almost impossible even in a democratically elected representative system of government?
- Why do we say the alarm "went off" when it actually went on?
- Is there a Zealand?
- Why are there so many songs about rainbows, and what's on the other side?
posted by howtolive.org at
8:29 AM
4 Comments:
The reason meaninful change rarely occurs, even in a democratic republic, is that people are selfish and lack forsight. Obviously leaders with those flaws would fail, and democracy is supposed to safegaurd government from that by letting the people choose who is best. Unfortunately, people are just as selfish and shortsighted as politicians and all one has to do to get elected is appeal to the emotions (evolutionary psychology) that feel right but are wrong. This is not an indictment of democracy, but rather a call to better educate the masses, so that they can be more rational players in our democracy and our economy. "Free markets are best operated by free minds" - Adam Smith
By
Chris, at 11:51 AM
some more good questions (with some answers):
http://www.freakonomics.com/blog/2007/06/22/why-do-retirees-buy-such-big-houses-and-other-riddles-from-the-economic-naturalist/
By
Anonymous, at 11:32 AM
sorry, above link got cut off.
here it is
By
Anonymous, at 11:34 AM
chris,
Thanks for the comment. When I wrote the question what I really meant was why the majority sometimes don't get to make the decisions. But as you point out, another relevant point is that the average person is often irrational and/or uninformed and so their decision-making itself might be flawed. Indeed, some of the flaws in their decision-making can likely be traced back to aspects of the system itself, which encourages and perpetuates their flawed thinking.
By
howtolive.org, at 11:31 AM
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