Scientific Definition
Choosing the easy path repeatedly compounds into stagnation.
Plain-English Definition
Choosing the easy path repeatedly compounds into stagnation.
Feynman Explanation
The easiest day compounds into the wrong decade.
Core Principle
Choosing the easy path repeatedly compounds into stagnation.
Mechanisms
Pending editorial review.
Choosing the easy path repeatedly compounds into stagnation.
Pending editorial review.
Pending editorial review.
Personal defaults are personal strategy.
Pending editorial review.
Pending editorial review.
Inputs (Triggers)
Pending editorial review.
Outputs (Behaviors)
Pending editorial review.
Behavioral Signature
The easiest day compounds into the wrong decade.
Examples
- Career drift among capable mid-career professionals.
- Personal defaults are personal strategy.
Pending editorial review.
Famous Experiments
Pending editorial review.
Design Principles
- Friction-design. Pre-commitment to discomfort.
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.
- Friction-design. Pre-commitment to discomfort.
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.
Discount framing nudges people to buy things they wouldn't otherwise want.
Training for appearance can crowd out mobility, longevity, and mental health.
Short-term restriction regimes drive yo-yo cycles and worsen long-term metabolic health.
Outsourcing self-worth to audiences corrodes intrinsic direction.
Outcome-only goals undervalue the process that compounds into mastery.
Status tiers and points push consumption beyond actual need.
Context-switching feels productive but cuts effective output and quality.
Standards untethered from shipping cause paralysis and avoidance.
Granular tracking can optimize busy work while real priorities go untouched.
Productivity targets compress visits, raising misdiagnosis and burnout.
A federal mandate intended to lower drug costs for the poor became a profit engine for hospitals and contract pharmacies.
Earn-outs designed to retain founders often demotivate the team they bought.