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We cling tenaciously to what we value and fear might be lost. To behave otherwise is somehow less than human.

In real life our behavior is far more complex than the textbook allows and often confounds the idea that we’re purely rational.

…instead of restraining negative behavior, rewards and punishments can often set it loose and give rise to cheating, addiction, and dangerously myopic thinking.

…by diminishing intrinsic motivation… performance, creativity, and even upstanding behavior topple like dominoes.

’When institutions… focus on the short-term and opt for controlling people’s behavior,’ they do considerable long-term damage.

…what science is revealing is that carrots and sticks can promote bad behavior, create addiction, and encourage short-term thinking at the expense of the long view.

…when an extrinsic goal is paramount… its presence can restrict our view of the broader dimensions of our behavior.

…most scandals and misbehavior that have seemed endemic to modern life involve shortcuts.

…even when the behavior doesn’t devolve into shortcuts or addiction, the near-term allure of rewards can be harmful in the long run.

…intrinsic behavior emerges when people have autonomy over the four T’s: their task, their time, their technique, and their team.