Nic comments on Evaluability (And Cheap Holiday Shopping) - Less Wrong

25 Post author: Eliezer_Yudkowsky 28 November 2007 12:37AM

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Comment author: Nic 29 November 2007 04:59:53AM 8 points [-]

It's also possible to be hit by this bias if you're not thinking of it while shopping. Last year, I was invited over to watch the Super Bowl at a friend's, and they were also celebrating his niece's birthday. Of course, I brought a gift -- a Cookie Monster plushie. Unfortunately for me, someone else brought a teddy bear that was obviously much larger and higher quality! Oops.

The moral, I suppose, is that if you're going to get a cheaper gift, shoot for something that's very different than what other people are likely to buy.