Scientific Definition
We measure ourselves against peers, not against our past selves.
Plain-English Definition
We measure ourselves against peers, not against our past selves.
Feynman Explanation
Munger: 'It's not greed that drives the world, but envy.'
Core Principle
We measure ourselves against peers, not against our past selves.
Mechanisms
Pending editorial review.
We measure ourselves against peers, not against our past selves.
Pending editorial review.
Pending editorial review.
Pending editorial review.
Pending editorial review.
Relative status drives more behavior than absolute outcomes.
Inputs (Triggers)
Pending editorial review.
Outputs (Behaviors)
Pending editorial review.
Behavioral Signature
Munger: 'It's not greed that drives the world, but envy.'
Examples
- Comp negotiations driven by what peers earn, not by absolute value.
- Relative status drives more behavior than absolute outcomes.
Pending editorial review.
Famous Experiments
Pending editorial review.
Design Principles
- Design comp systems aware of relative comparison, not just absolutes.
Measurement Approaches
Pending editorial review.
Evidence
Pending editorial review.
Pending editorial review.
The Perverse Incentive Lens™
How this behavior is exploited — and how to redesign around it.
- Design comp systems aware of relative comparison, not just absolutes.
Pending editorial review.
Pending editorial review.
Interactive Mini Network
Click any neighbor to re-center the graph and follow the threads of connection.
Knowledge Graph Neighbors
Auto-linked to the rest of the Human Behavior Taxonomy by family, domain, dimension, and shared keywords.
We dismiss the ideas and merits of people we dislike.
A group decides on a course of action that nobody actually wants, because everyone assumes others prefer it.
Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
We attribute our own actions to situations but others' actions to their character.
We favor people who are similar to us or who like us.
Sacrificing for others without expecting a personal reward.
Masking the sponsors of a message to make it appear grassroots.
Disagreement grows more extreme as the parties think more about the issue.
Systematic errors in explaining the causes of behavior — yours or others'.
We accept vague, general statements as personally meaningful.
Adding the word 'because' (with any reason) increases compliance dramatically.
Behaviors spread through groups via observation and imitation.