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Koen Smets

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Koen Smets

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Jan 4, 2024

Best of Koenfucius 2023

My 10 most read posts of the past year

Best of Koenfucius 2023

Pinned

Koen Smets

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Jun 3, 2016

We are all economists

Mainstream and behavioural economics are two sides of the same coin

We are all economists

Koen Smets

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Jan 9

The Moralization Gambit

Sometimes, when facing dilemmas that oppose means and ends, rather than confronting their complexity, we resort to the strategic invocation…

President Maduro

Koen Smets

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Jan 7

Overruling rules

Our lives are steered by rules, perhaps more than we realize. But it is not the rules we follow, but the exceptions we make that reveal who…

A view of a library

Koen Smets

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Dec 21, 2025

Selfish gifts

If we’re honest, we’d have to admit that sometimes, when giving gifts to others, we take into account the effect on us too. But is that…

A bunch of wrapped Christmas gifts

Koen Smets

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Aug 22, 2025

Why the majority remains silent (and shouldn’t)

It is not unusual for majority opinions to be unrecognized, even by members of the majority. This forms a detrimental constraint on social…

Heads facing left all thinking they’re the only one facing left and all the others are facing right

Koen Smets

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Aug 15, 2025

Picking intuitions

Decisions to save small amounts of money or time (in absolute terms) are often guided by intuition. But are we using the right one?

Some colourful bottles

Koen Smets

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Aug 8, 2025

A choice too far?

Genetic screening enabling embryo selection based not just on predisposition for certain disorders, but also on mental and physical traits…

IVF fertilization

Koen Smets

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Aug 1, 2025

The evolutionary roots of our conspiracy mindset

Might an economic concept explain our propensity to see conspiracies where there are none?

The evolutionary roots of our conspiracy mindset

Koen Smets

·

Jul 25, 2025

The Lottery of Consequences

Decisions have consequences — sometimes unintended and unforeseen ones. Should we — and can we — be more careful?

The watchful eye of the Jumbotron

Koen Smets

Koen Smets

Accidental behavioural economist in search of wisdom using insights from (behavioural) economics in organization development. On Twitter/Bluesky as @koenfucius

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