Comments on: The Economic Approach to Marketing http://www.joshklein.net/the-economic-approach-to-marketing Josh Klein's ruminations & strategies where technology & communication intersect. Sat, 24 Jul 2010 23:25:15 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Josh Klein http://www.joshklein.net/the-economic-approach-to-marketing/comment-page-1#comment-26 Josh Klein Thu, 03 Jul 2008 14:32:52 +0000 http://www.joshklein.net/?p=52#comment-26 I just came across a post on the Freakonomics blog that references this same idea from Becker: http://freakonomics.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/12/17/are-all-deaths-suicides/ I just came across a post on the Freakonomics blog that references this same idea from Becker:

http://freakonomics.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/12/17/are-all-deaths-suicides/

]]> By: Josh Klein http://www.joshklein.net/the-economic-approach-to-marketing/comment-page-1#comment-25 Josh Klein Tue, 01 Jul 2008 23:47:41 +0000 http://www.joshklein.net/?p=52#comment-25 To be clear, this is Becker's argument, though I agree with his conclusion. I do not believe it suggests that we would live indefinitely if we made the right choices (though no one has actually tried). You agree that people live shorter lives in exchange for more immediate pleasures, but isn't that a suicide? Yes, the results are only apparent half a century later. But choosing X or Y instead of life = suicide. Another anecdote: in Landsburg's book (The Armchair Economist), he brings to light some interesting data. In the wake of the reporting of a fatal car accident in the news, there is a statistically significant rise in the instances of fatal car accidents. After the reporting of a suicide in the news, suicides rise. He suggests that because of this, newspapers are killing people. If you're curious about the arguements, I HIGHLY recommend this book. I can't do it justice! To be clear, this is Becker’s argument, though I agree with his conclusion.

I do not believe it suggests that we would live indefinitely if we made the right choices (though no one has actually tried). You agree that people live shorter lives in exchange for more immediate pleasures, but isn’t that a suicide? Yes, the results are only apparent half a century later.

But choosing X or Y instead of life = suicide.

Another anecdote: in Landsburg’s book (The Armchair Economist), he brings to light some interesting data. In the wake of the reporting of a fatal car accident in the news, there is a statistically significant rise in the instances of fatal car accidents. After the reporting of a suicide in the news, suicides rise.

He suggests that because of this, newspapers are killing people.

If you’re curious about the arguements, I HIGHLY recommend this book. I can’t do it justice!

]]> By: John Mark Engle http://www.joshklein.net/the-economic-approach-to-marketing/comment-page-1#comment-24 John Mark Engle Tue, 01 Jul 2008 16:49:00 +0000 http://www.joshklein.net/?p=52#comment-24 I don't know about natural death as a suicide. Your argument would suggest that if we made all the right choices, we would live indefinitely, and I'm pretty sure that most scientific evidence points out that this is not the case ;) I agree with the principles leading up to this conclusion: that people live shorter lives in exchange for more immediate pleasures, but the conclusion seems like a jump. Am I missing something here? I don’t know about natural death as a suicide.

Your argument would suggest that if we made all the right choices, we would live indefinitely, and I’m pretty sure that most scientific evidence points out that this is not the case ;)

I agree with the principles leading up to this conclusion: that people live shorter lives in exchange for more immediate pleasures, but the conclusion seems like a jump. Am I missing something here?

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