“We hate to do it, but we have to follow procedure” or NOT!

by Maarten Swemmer Leave a reply »

Some quotes from this intriguing speech by Barry Schwartz about our lost wisdom:

  • “You don’t need to be brilliant to be wise” but at the same time “Without wisdom, brilliance is not enough”.
  • “We hate to do it, but we have to follow procedure” some say
  • “Rules and procedures may be dumb, but they spare you from thinking” (Scott Simon)
  • “As we turn increasingly to rules, rules and incentives may make things better in the short run, but they create a downwards spiral that makes them worse in the long run” and “we are engaging on a war on wisdom”
  • “We must ask, not just is it profitable, but is it right” (Barak Obama, 18-12-2008)

Also read my story about rewarding strategies.

One Response

  1. Roland says:

    I saw this a while ago, but I just watched it again, because it’s so incredibly inspiring. It’s nice to hear examples of people who are still connected to their basic morality.