Viliam_Bur comments on Useful maxims - Less Wrong

26 Post author: ciphergoth 11 July 2012 11:56AM

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Comment author: Viliam_Bur 12 July 2012 02:04:05PM 5 points [-]

Before entering into an agreement with anyone, try to set up a small obstacle that they have to overcome in order to close on the agreement. If they fail this dedication test, perhaps they don't really want this deal.

It reminds me about the idea that people treat zero costs psychologically very differently than epsilon costs. (Dan Ariely: Predictably Irrational) This strategy changes the cost of your help from zero to epsilon.