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Episode 2922:

Nir Eyal explores the power of betting on yourself to change habits, highlighting a study that shows how putting money at risk can significantly boost success rates, particularly in quitting smoking. Despite its effectiveness, this approach remains underused due to fear of failure and the discomfort of risking money. Eyal delves into why people resist such bets and how understanding that resistance can lead to better self-discipline.

Read along with the original article(s) here: https://www.nirandfar.com/habits-bet/

Quotes to ponder:

"People who risked $150 of their own money to win a $650 bonus prize were dramatically more likely to quit smoking than those who used traditional smoking cessation methods."

"Only 13.7% of the participants assigned to the deposit program chose to enroll in it, whereas 90.0% of those assigned to the reward program chose to enroll."

"Behavior change is hard and people will inevitably fail."

Episode references:

New England Journal of Medicine study on smoking cessation: https://www.nejm.org

Nudge: https://www.amazon.com/Nudge-Improving-Decisions-Health-Happiness/dp/014311526X

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