Part of the problem is that we’re all wired with linear minds, leaving us prone to think small. It’s not our fault. We think in additives and multiples, with no evolutionary pressure to think in exponentials. An exponential is a number raised to the power of another number. When you do that, quantities and rates described by them rise (or shrink) faster than our normal capacity to comprehend. Consider this simple example: You can choose to receive $5 million now or instead receive a penny a day doubled for a month. Most people would take the $5 million and run, avoiding the pennies altogether.
...more
