loss-aversion
Original: loss-aversion on Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal
Transcript
Panel 1:
Father: Great news, kids! I'm implementing a loss-aversion allowance system.
Panel 2:
Father: Instead of giving you five dollars each week during which you were good, you will start each week with the potential for five dollars.
Panel 3:
Father: Every time you disobey me or talk back, you will lose a dollar from your potential total.
Panel 4:
Father: Here's the best part! Humans care more about losing a dollar than gaining one. So, you'll probably behave far better while getting less money!!
Panel 5:
Child (eyes wide, pointing): Your systematic biases are your undoing!
Panel 6:
Child: I'm gonna misbehave five times immediately, then you will have no power.
Father: But that's irrational!
Votey:
A child's face says: Gimme five bucks, and I'll play along.
Father: Great news, kids! I'm implementing a loss-aversion allowance system.
Panel 2:
Father: Instead of giving you five dollars each week during which you were good, you will start each week with the potential for five dollars.
Panel 3:
Father: Every time you disobey me or talk back, you will lose a dollar from your potential total.
Panel 4:
Father: Here's the best part! Humans care more about losing a dollar than gaining one. So, you'll probably behave far better while getting less money!!
Panel 5:
Child (eyes wide, pointing): Your systematic biases are your undoing!
Panel 6:
Child: I'm gonna misbehave five times immediately, then you will have no power.
Father: But that's irrational!
Votey:
A child's face says: Gimme five bucks, and I'll play along.
Alt text
A six-panel comic. A father excitedly announces to his kids a "loss-aversion allowance system": instead of earning five dollars a week for being good, each week starts with a potential five dollars, and every time a kid disobeys or talks back they lose a dollar. He gleefully explains that since humans hate losing money more than gaining it, the kids will behave better while getting less money. A wide-eyed child points dramatically and declares, "Your systematic biases are your undoing! I'm gonna misbehave five times immediately, then you will have no power." The father protests, "But that's irrational!" Votey (aftercomic): a close-up of the child's smug face saying, "Gimme five bucks, and I'll play along" — immediately demonstrating that the kid will simply exploit the system for cash.
Transcribed by Claude Opus 4.8.