The encoding power of endings shapes many of our opinions and subsequent decisions. For instance, several studies show that we often evaluate the quality of meals, movies, and vacations not by the full experience but by certain moments, especially the end.19 So when we share our evaluations with others—in conversations or in a TripAdvisor review—much of what we’re conveying is our reaction to the conclusion. (Look at Yelp reviews of restaurants, for example, and notice how many of the reviews describe how the meal ended—an unexpected farewell treat, a check with an error, a server chasing
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