The idea of a pledge is appealing because it's cheap right we don't have to monitor it's self-monitoring. I've not done this with my wife but a re you know a remarriage what I forget what they call her with a recommitment recommitment ceremony. People do these things as a way to publicly bind themselves but not in a legal or regulatory way but in a way of saying so and I guess the risk reminds a little bit of the way businesses will use a mission statement like "We are here to serve our community"
Behavioral scientist Katy Milkman of the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania talks about her book How to Change with EconTalk host Russ Roberts. What can we learn from research in psychology and behavioral economics about breaking the habits we want to change? Is that research reliable? And should Russ Roberts accept being overweight or keep working at finding the thinner man trying to get out?