Richard Thaler Quotes

You've got to change incentives for good behavior as opposed to just disincentivizing bad behavior.

If governments want to encourage good citizenship, they should try making the desired behavior more fun.

What motivates most people to change their behavior is consequences. No consequences? No behavior modification.

The best way to break a bad habit is to drop it.

The truth is that we can learn to condition our minds, bodies, and emotions to link pain or pleasure to whatever we choose. By changing what we link pain and pleasure to, we will instantly change our behaviors.

Rewards and punishments are the lowest form of education.

I've been trying to avoid goal-oriented behavior.

Good habits are worth being fanatical about.

You've got to understand, people are motivated by fun. And they should be.

I have a reward-and-punishment system: If I have done this much work, then I can play video games this long. It gives my day structure.

Twenty-eight days is what is takes to break a habit and to implement a new set of habits.

Obviously, I'm going to go out there and want to win. Don't get me wrong. But I'm not going to not have fun or not enjoy myself at the same time.

Always work hard and have fun in what you do because I think that's when you're more successful. You have to choose to do it.

Make the expectations lively enough, and action will follow.

I'm doing a lot of speaking and talking about habits, which is this subject that obsesses me. That's a lot of fun.

Knowing how bad you could be is a great encouragement to being good.

My dad's helped me a lot as a player, encouraged me in all the right ways, kept me focussing on the right lines.

My job is not to scream and yell, my job is to cheer you and be positive. If you miss four shots, I'm still going to pass to you.

If it's not fun, you are not doing it right.

People rise and fall to meet your level of expectations for them. If you express skepticism and doubt in others, they will return your lack of confidence with mediocrity. But if you believe in them and expect them to do well, they will go the extra mile trying to do their best.

Some need a whip and others a pat on the back and others are better off when they are ignored.

Praise is essential in developing the right attitude toward learning and toward school.

Most of the criticism I get is that I am too positive and too hopeful... in my words, I don't beat people down enough.

Simply having rules does not change the things that people want to do. You have to change incentive.

Take off your bedroom slippers, put on your marching shoes. Shake it off. Stop complaining, stop grumbling, stop crying. We are going to press on. We’ve got work to do.