Blog - Ben Guttmann

The anchoring effect breaking our brains

A few days ago, I was plopping my credit card down for some new piece of software, and I was met once again by a familiar sight: the three-columned pricing page. We’ve all seen this a thousand times. One of these options seems outrageously expensive. One of them looks like a complete rip-off. But then, right there in the middle – the best deal of all time!

October 30, 2023

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Four professional force multipliers

A force multiplier is a tool that empowers people to do things that they couldn’t do without. It’s a factor that is said to increase ability by multiple. An impenetrable fortress is a force multiplier, allowing a small defensive force to repel armies of attackers. Force multipliers make you stronger than the sum of your parts – in a military context and in our work.

October 23, 2023

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A week of "Simply Put"

Well, the past week has sure been busy. If you’re here, you know that on October 10, my first book, Simply Put, was released. Since then, it’s been a ride. Dozens of friends and colleagues have shared photos with their new copies. I hosted my first launch event last Thursday at P&T Knitwear, an awesome new bookshop downtown. Here's some more.

October 18, 2023

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You don’t need to be everywhere

There are lots of social media platforms. But you don't have to be on most of them. We only have so much time, and only so many resources, to devote to anything we’re doing – and maintaining an active presence on twelve different channels can eat up a lot of both. Instead of doing all of them half-assed, it’s far better to either commit or punt.

October 16, 2023

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When curse words stop working

In a sea of traditionally blasé titles, like Think and Grow Rich, The Power of Positive Thinking, and The Four Agreements, the bluntness of something like Unfu*k Yourself shines as a beacon of contrast. You can easily convince yourself: This book is different… so maybe this book is better. This is the power of salience.

October 9, 2023

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Everything eventually becomes a TV

We don’t feel that we need to replace our TVs every year, and now, many people feel that they don’t need to replace their phones every year. The lifespan of our phones has gone from one or two years, to three or four – and may keep climbing.

September 27, 2023

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Status, language, and airports

What does it mean to be an "international" airport? Well, it depends on who's doing the talking. We use big words, fancy titles, and industry jargon when we’re afraid we won’t measure up. When we need the status, we call in the cavalry – but while these labels definitely say something about us, it might not be what we want.

September 21, 2023

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What are you arguing about? (There are only three options)

There are a lot of things we argue about. Politics. Manners. Money. Education. Sports. Business strategy. Vacation plans. Dinner plans. It’s one of our fundamental modes of interacting with others. But despite that infinite list of debate topics, all arguments can fit into just three categories: blame, values, or choice.

September 18, 2023

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Ads are everywhere, and it's only going to get worse

More. More. More. Not so quietly, we’ve found ourselves in a rapidly escalating battle with ads. Like sand after coming home from the beach, ads have found their way into everything – including some spaces that we’d really rather not have them. We’ve entered a new frontier of ad creep, and it’s only going to get worse from here.

September 11, 2023

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Understanding the end-of-history illusion

We believe that we've arrived, that we are at the end of history. When we look back, we tend to think that we’ve changed a lot in the past, but now we’re pretty much done changing. After years of growth, our permanent selves are now here – but this is far from the truth.

August 28, 2023

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