The Logic of Life Tim Harford

1. The Logic of LifeTim Harford Esteban Cruz

2. 1stSUBsection • Tim Harford reports how our society works, emphasizing how a rational set of economics, explains an irrational world. But is it truly irrational? He points out different areas of life, were humans demonstrate being noticeably rational beings. Specifically, he refers to teenage preference of oral sex than regular sex a mechanism of rational thinking. Since it brings less costs, but the obvious same benefits why not practice it? Harford claims we are smart individuals, although not free of mistakes. Anyhow, this is what makes us rational, well we can learn from these, and infer what is wrong and right.

3. 2nd SUBSECTION • Economist Tim Harford extends his argument by showing more evidence of rational thinking in different situations around the world and within our society. Even actions that seem irrational to a normal individual, such as prostitution or committing a crime have a more rational complexity within the mind of those who practice these actions. A particular measure that is consequent for the action intended, will have a rational or logical outcome, such as a juvenile not committing a crime again, or a prostitute choosing whether to use a condom or not.

4. 3rd subsection • Harford corroborates his point of how humans are such rational beings as he keeps showing different scenarios and real life situations in which we demonstrate this skill, even in an unconscious and natural way. As an economist would, we take decisions based on the benefits we receive from these after we’ve done a short and long term analysis. He exemplifies his argument as he describes how a study done in Sweden presents how areas where a lot of women live, especially young women, correlates to areas where male with high salaries live. Harford asserts the idea by saying: “Manhattan’s women may constantly grumble about the lack of marriageable men in the city, but it is their rational choice not to relocate to Alaska.” This is a representation of how women in this case are being rational, well plenty of them prefer to compete for the scarce and wealthy men than go to a place where males are poorer but more abundant. Rational decisions can truly define the way we shape our lives, well it is reason what shapes the way we see it.

5. 4th subsection • Throughout this subsection, the author Tim Harford conducts the reader through the relationship between economics and life into a deeper and more complex level, as he portrays a direct comparison between economies of scale and marriage and divorce. Harford performs an analysis on what Adam Smith says about the division of labor according to traditional sexual roles, and combines it with the basics of economies of scale, drawing a thorough conclusion about marriage that combines the three aspects. He believes that a household in which both parents work part-time on their careers and part-time taking care of their children, is not a home that makes rational economic sense. Tim cleverly states: “Two halves are much less than a whole” suggesting that as economies of scale dictate, each individual within a partner should have an assigned role that he or she performs in a full-time period. In a way, he also insinuates how marriage is about the compromise a person assumes when they take the decision; compromise that is about complementing each other in a rational way (although it will ask for sacrifices) rather than focusing in individual and self-interested concepts.