Photo: Yael Zur, for Tel Aviv University Alumni Organization / CC BY-SA 4.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Ariely has a rare talent for turning rigorous experiments into genuinely fun reading, which is why Predictably Irrational became such a phenomenon. His whole project, showing that we deviate from rational choice in systematic, predictable ways, reshaped how a lot of people think about money, motivation, and honesty. The backstory adds depth too: his own experience with severe burns and recovery clearly informs his curiosity about pain, perception, and human behavior. He is one of the field's best communicators, equally at home on a TED stage and in the lab. I find his work consistently illuminating, even when it makes you a little uncomfortable about your own choices.
Overview
Dan Ariely (born April 29, 1967) is a behavioral economist, psychologist, and author, and a professor at Duke University. He is best known for his bestselling books on irrational human decision-making, including Predictably Irrational and The (Honest) Truth About Dishonesty. His engaging research on the hidden forces shaping our choices has made him a prominent popularizer of behavioral economics, and he has received an Ig Nobel Prize.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Dan Ariely
- Name (Japanese)
- ダン・アリエリー
- Reading
- だん・ありえりー
- Born
- April 29, 1967 (age 59)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Taurus / Goat
- Origin
- New York, New York, United States
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- Economist / Psychologist / Education scholar / University professor / Author
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Private
- University
- Duke University
Awards & achievements
- Ig Nobel Prize
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
5. Works & records
| Category | Title | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notable work | Predictably Irrational | — | Unknown |
| Notable work | The Upside of Irrationality | — | Unknown |
| Notable work | The (Honest) Truth About Dishonesty | — | Unknown |
| Notable work | Dishonesty | — | Unknown |
6. Links
Economist — see all → · Psychologist — see all → · More people from United States →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.