Nudge: The Final Edition

by Richard H. Thaler

For those who want to enlist social influences, an important challenge, as well as a real opportunity, is pluralistic ignorance—that is, ignorance, on the part of all or most, about what other people think. We may follow a practice or a tradition not because we like it or even think it defensible, but merely because we think that most other people like it. Many social practices persist for this reason, which means a small shock, or nudge, can dislodge them.21 A dramatic example is Communism in the former Soviet bloc, which lasted in part because people were unaware of how large a share of the population despised the regime. As people became aware of what others actually thought, they were emboldened to say what they believed, and to act accordingly.