The remembering self largely ignores how long an experience lasted when evaluating it, focusing instead on peak intensity and ending.
Patients prefer a colonoscopy that lasts longer but ends with less pain to a shorter one that ends with severe pain, even though the longer procedure involves more total discomfort.
Longer pleasant experiences are always better—the remembering self ignores duration, so extending a pleasant experience doesn't proportionally improve how it's remembered.
Thinking, Fast and Slow
Daniel Kahneman
Memories of experiences are dominated by the most intense moment (peak) and the final moment (end), with duration largely ignored.
The experiencing self lives through moments in real-time; the remembering self evaluates episodes based on memory and makes future decisions.
Memories of experiences are dominated by the most intense moment (peak) and the final moment (end), with duration largely ignored.
The experiencing self lives through moments in real-time; the remembering self evaluates episodes based on memory and makes future decisions.
What paradox does duration neglect create for decision-making?
True or False: A two-week vacation is remembered as approximately twice as good as a one-week vacation if both have similar peaks and endings.