Luke_A_Somers comments on Useful maxims - Less Wrong

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

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Comment author: Morendil 11 July 2012 11:04:37PM 16 points [-]

Never sign a contract under time pressure. One day per page might be a usable heuristic.

Resist the urge to answer this email right now, especially if it's important. Treat emails as you would postal mail.

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. (For instance: meet you outside of their office, or buy you coffee.) If they fail this dedication test, perhaps they don't really want this deal.

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.