Rory Sutherland is an author and the Vice Chairman of Ogilvy. We talk about perception vs. technological improvements, creativity, the battle between efficiency and invention, how we’re neither rational nor irrational, changes in advertising and social norms, evolutionary biology, and more.

— (00:37) Perceptual arbitrage (08:23) Making space for randomness, procrastination & creativity (14:52) Measurement & efficiency over experimentation & invention; the growth of bureaucracy (27:54) Working from home (41:55) We aren't rational or irrational (45:10) Psychology & behavioral science don’t need a theory of everything — just a better map; changing social norms (49:52) Young people want absolute, context-free rules on everything (55:20) Shrinking advertising budgets limits unique discoveries (01:01:42) Evolutionary biology; looking at past events & understanding preconditions (01:14:18) Mariachi bands & more creativity

—

Rory’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/rorysutherland

Rory’s books: https://www.amazon.com/Rory-Sutherland-Books/s?k=Rory+Sutherland&rh=n%3A283155

Ogilvy: https://www.ogilvy.com/

Spencer’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/SP1NS1R

Spencer’s Blog: https://spencerkier.substack.com