Comments on: EcoFlip is Craig’s List for Green Living http://www.maxgladwell.com/2008/08/ecoflip-is-craigs-list-for-green-living/ Social Media, Geolocation, and Green Living Tue, 17 Aug 2010 23:01:58 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Meryn Stol http://www.maxgladwell.com/2008/08/ecoflip-is-craigs-list-for-green-living/comment-page-1/#comment-876 Meryn Stol Tue, 12 Aug 2008 18:35:46 +0000 http://www.maxgladwell.com/?p=608#comment-876 Ever heard of group selection? Ever heard of group selection?

]]> By: Max Gladwell http://www.maxgladwell.com/2008/08/ecoflip-is-craigs-list-for-green-living/comment-page-1/#comment-875 Max Gladwell Tue, 12 Aug 2008 17:34:29 +0000 http://www.maxgladwell.com/?p=608#comment-875 Meryn: I can list many things are definitively human nature. The survival instinct is human nature. So there's a starting point. There are many behavioral attributes about the human species that are simply hard coded. Some of these are shared by other species. Egocentrism is one of them. It's natural to look out for #1. Other aspects of human nature are proven through repeated social experiments, and there's a reason why economics is the most successful and reliable of all social sciences. Offer a rational person the choice between $1 and $100, and (all else being equal) they'll choose $100 every time. It stands to reason, then, that offering someone the choice between paying $0 and $5, the rational person will choose the former. Unless there is some other force at work to influence them to choose the latter. This force could be guilt, social reinforcement, or a good feeling for having chosen to be generous. So we're not saying that generosity is NOT human nature. That's a different argument altogether. We're simply saying that humans are rational beings and that rationality dictates that, all else being equal, you make the rational choice 100% of the time. It's our nature. Meryn: I can list many things are definitively human nature. The survival instinct is human nature. So there’s a starting point.

There are many behavioral attributes about the human species that are simply hard coded. Some of these are shared by other species. Egocentrism is one of them. It’s natural to look out for #1.

Other aspects of human nature are proven through repeated social experiments, and there’s a reason why economics is the most successful and reliable of all social sciences. Offer a rational person the choice between $1 and $100, and (all else being equal) they’ll choose $100 every time. It stands to reason, then, that offering someone the choice between paying $0 and $5, the rational person will choose the former. Unless there is some other force at work to influence them to choose the latter. This force could be guilt, social reinforcement, or a good feeling for having chosen to be generous.

So we’re not saying that generosity is NOT human nature. That’s a different argument altogether. We’re simply saying that humans are rational beings and that rationality dictates that, all else being equal, you make the rational choice 100% of the time. It’s our nature.

]]> By: green blog http://www.maxgladwell.com/2008/08/ecoflip-is-craigs-list-for-green-living/comment-page-1/#comment-874 green blog Tue, 12 Aug 2008 14:20:09 +0000 http://www.maxgladwell.com/?p=608#comment-874 In fact, when we look at it, there are actually a lot of channels, which we can get the “green” message across whether it is online or even offline. And of course I’m excited to see this latest development. In fact, when we look at it, there are actually a lot of channels, which we can get the “green” message across whether it is online or even offline. And of course I’m excited to see this latest development.

]]> By: Meryn Stol http://www.maxgladwell.com/2008/08/ecoflip-is-craigs-list-for-green-living/comment-page-1/#comment-873 Meryn Stol Tue, 12 Aug 2008 12:08:20 +0000 http://www.maxgladwell.com/?p=608#comment-873 "It runs counter to human nature," You can't make this claim like that. There's no real definition of human nature, even experts disagree on what it is. The lay-man experience of human nature is certainly very subjective, and highly cultural dependent. "there probably needs to be some other mechanism to encourage participation, such as an indication that you’ve opted to make the donation." You should look into http://tipjoy.com/ ! “It runs counter to human nature,”
You can’t make this claim like that. There’s no real definition of human nature, even experts disagree on what it is. The lay-man experience of human nature is certainly very subjective, and highly cultural dependent.

“there probably needs to be some other mechanism to encourage participation, such as an indication that you’ve opted to make the donation.”
You should look into http://tipjoy.com/ !

]]>