<!doctype html><html lang=en-us dir=ltr><head><meta charset=UTF-8><meta http-equiv=X-UA-Compatible content="IE=edge,chrome=1"><meta name=viewport content="width=device-width,initial-scale=1,shrink-to-fit=no"><title>Optimal Behavior | Daniel Egan</title>
<meta name=description content="My personal views only, not those of my employer, government, family, or dog. The title is meant to be ironic."><meta property="og:url" content="https://www.dpegan.com/blog/"><meta property="og:site_name" content="Daniel Egan"><meta property="og:title" content="Optimal Behavior"><meta property="og:description" content="My personal views only, not those of my employer, government, family, or dog. The title is meant to be ironic."><meta property="og:locale" content="en_us"><meta property="og:type" content="website"><meta property="og:image" content="https://via.placeholder.com/960x480?text=SECTION+IMAGE"><meta itemprop=name content="Optimal Behavior"><meta itemprop=description content="My personal views only, not those of my employer, government, family, or dog. The title is meant to be ironic."><meta itemprop=datePublished content="2022-02-04T09:31:27-06:00"><meta itemprop=dateModified content="2022-02-04T17:14:09-05:00"><meta itemprop=wordCount content="22"><meta itemprop=image content="https://via.placeholder.com/960x480?text=SECTION+IMAGE"><meta name=twitter:card content="summary_large_image"><meta name=twitter:image content="https://via.placeholder.com/960x480?text=SECTION+IMAGE"><meta name=twitter:title content="Optimal Behavior"><meta name=twitter:description content="My personal views only, not those of my employer, government, family, or dog. The title is meant to be ironic."><meta name=twitter:site content="@daniel_egan"><!--[if IE]><script src=//html5shiv.googlecode.com/svn/trunk/html5.js></script><![endif]--><link rel="shortcut icon" href=../img/favicon.ico type=image/x-icon><link rel=icon href=../img/favicon.ico type=image/x-icon><link rel=alternate type=application/rss+xml href=https://www.dpegan.com/blog/index.xml title="Daniel Egan"><link rel=stylesheet href=https://www.dpegan.com/style.main.min.22c3977ae703924f47bac5a5efbed18d5457e4706e6b8d4fbfc4795586c22638.css integrity="sha256-IsOXeucDkk9HusWl777RjVRX5HBua41Pv8R5VYbCJjg=" media=screen><script src=https://cdn.usefathom.com/script.js data-site=VNYPIVUJ defer></script></head><body><div class="grid-container list"><header class="site-header pa4 bb b--transparent" role=banner><nav class="site-nav db dt-l w-100" role=nav><a class="site-brand db dtc-l v-mid link no-underline w-100 w-33-l tc tl-l" href=https://www.dpegan.com/ title=Home><img src=../img/logo.png class="dib db-l h2 w-auto" alt="Daniel Egan"></a><div class="site-links db dtc-l v-mid w-100 w-47-l tc tr-l mt3 mt0-l"><a class="link f6 f5-l dib pv1 ph2" href=../about title=About>About</a>
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In a lake, there is a patch of lily pads. Every day, the patch doubles in size. If it takes 48 days for the patch to cover the entire lake, how long would it take for the patch to cover half of the lake?</p><footer class=w-100><p class="f7 db mv1">March 23, 2026</p></footer></div></div></article><article class="mv4 mv5-l bb"><div class="flex flex-column flex-row-ns mb4 mb5-l"><figure class="mr4-ns ma0 mb2 mb0-l w-100 w-40-ns"><a href=https://www.dpegan.com/blog/low-cost-is-better-than-free/ class=db><img src=https://www.dpegan.com/blog/assets/dollar.jpeg class="db ma0" alt></a></figure><div class="flex flex-column w-100 w-60-ns pl3-ns"><header class=w-100><h1 class="f3 mv2 lh-title"><a href=https://www.dpegan.com/blog/low-cost-is-better-than-free/ class=db>Low cost is better than free</a></h1></header><p class="f6 lh-copy mv2 flex-auto">When you zoom out, free goods and services may cost us way more than expected.</p><footer class=w-100><p class="f7 db mv1">March 23, 2021</p></footer></div></div></article><article class="mv4 mv5-l bb"><div class="flex flex-column flex-row-ns mb4 mb5-l"><figure class="mr4-ns ma0 mb2 mb0-l w-100 w-40-ns"><a href=https://www.dpegan.com/blog/the-myth-of-the-panicky-individual-investor/ class=db><img src=https://www.dpegan.com/blog/assets/2020/03/library.jpg class="db ma0" alt></a></figure><div class="flex flex-column w-100 w-60-ns pl3-ns"><header class=w-100><h1 class="f3 mv2 lh-title"><a href=https://www.dpegan.com/blog/the-myth-of-the-panicky-individual-investor/ class=db>The myth of the panicky individual investor</a></h1></header><p class="f6 lh-copy mv2 flex-auto">How to create a false stereotype through sample bias.</p><footer class=w-100><p class="f7 db mv1">March 14, 2020</p></footer></div></div></article><article class="mv4 mv5-l bb"><div class="flex flex-column flex-row-ns mb4 mb5-l"><figure class="mr4-ns ma0 mb2 mb0-l w-100 w-40-ns"><a href=https://www.dpegan.com/blog/sacrifice-throws/ class=db><img src=https://www.dpegan.com/blog/assets/sutemi-waza.png class="db ma0" alt></a></figure><div class="flex flex-column w-100 w-60-ns pl3-ns"><header class=w-100><h1 class="f3 mv2 lh-title"><a href=https://www.dpegan.com/blog/sacrifice-throws/ class=db>Sacrifice throws</a></h1></header><p class="f6 lh-copy mv2 flex-auto">Sutemi-waza are a class of throws in jujitsu or aikido known as sacrifice throws. They are tricky, but very powerful: they work because of the opponent’s momentum.</p><footer class=w-100><p class="f7 db mv1">February 23, 2020</p></footer></div></div></article><article class="mv4 mv5-l bb"><div class="flex flex-column flex-row-ns mb4 mb5-l"><figure class="mr4-ns ma0 mb2 mb0-l w-100 w-40-ns"><a href=https://www.dpegan.com/blog/not-so-great-expectations/ class=db><img src=https://www.dpegan.com/blog/assets/2020/02/greg-rakozy-oMpAz-DN-9I-unsplash-1024x683.jpg class="db ma0" alt></a></figure><div class="flex flex-column w-100 w-60-ns pl3-ns"><header class=w-100><h1 class="f3 mv2 lh-title"><a href=https://www.dpegan.com/blog/not-so-great-expectations/ class=db>The curse of high expected returns</a></h1></header><p class="f6 lh-copy mv2 flex-auto">There’s a game potential clients and advisors play, and I think everyone loses.</p><footer class=w-100><p class="f7 db mv1">February 9, 2020</p></footer></div></div></article><article class="mv4 mv5-l bb"><div class="flex flex-column flex-row-ns mb4 mb5-l"><figure class="mr4-ns ma0 mb2 mb0-l w-100 w-40-ns"><a href=https://www.dpegan.com/blog/when-treatment-is-harder-than-diagnosis/ class=db><img src=https://www.dpegan.com/blog/assets/2019/04/focus_vision-scaled.jpg class="db ma0" alt></a></figure><div class="flex flex-column w-100 w-60-ns pl3-ns"><header class=w-100><h1 class="f3 mv2 lh-title"><a href=https://www.dpegan.com/blog/when-treatment-is-harder-than-diagnosis/ class=db>When treatment is harder than diagnosis</a></h1></header><p class="f6 lh-copy mv2 flex-auto">There’s a seduction in behavioral science: 'here’s a bias, go be better by not being biased'.</p><footer class=w-100><p class="f7 db mv1">April 25, 2019</p></footer></div></div></article><article class="mv4 mv5-l bb"><div class="flex flex-column flex-row-ns mb4 mb5-l"><figure class="mr4-ns ma0 mb2 mb0-l w-100 w-40-ns"><a href=https://www.dpegan.com/blog/the-invisible-doctor/ class=db><img src=https://www.dpegan.com/blog/assets/2018/09/incompetence_visible.png class="db ma0" alt></a></figure><div class="flex flex-column w-100 w-60-ns pl3-ns"><header class=w-100><h1 class="f3 mv2 lh-title"><a href=https://www.dpegan.com/blog/the-invisible-doctor/ class=db>Invisible doctors and rewarding incompetence</a></h1></header><p class="f6 lh-copy mv2 flex-auto">Sometimes, appearing to be a good advisor works in direct opposition to actually being an effective advisor.</p><footer class=w-100><p class="f7 db mv1">September 24, 2018</p></footer></div></div></article><article class="mv4 mv5-l bb"><div class="flex flex-column flex-row-ns mb4 mb5-l"><figure class="mr4-ns ma0 mb2 mb0-l w-100 w-40-ns"><a href=https://www.dpegan.com/blog/consumer-financial-decision-making-keynote/ class=db><img src=https://www.dpegan.com/blog/assets/cfdm_keynote.png class="db ma0" alt></a></figure><div class="flex flex-column w-100 w-60-ns pl3-ns"><header class=w-100><h1 class="f3 mv2 lh-title"><a href=https://www.dpegan.com/blog/consumer-financial-decision-making-keynote/ class=db>Consumer Financial Decision Making keynote</a></h1></header><p class="f6 lh-copy mv2 flex-auto">Yesterday I had the honor of opening up the Boulder conference on Consumer Financial Decision Making. Here is my presentation:</p><footer class=w-100><p class="f7 db mv1">May 21, 2018</p></footer></div></div></article><article class="mv4 mv5-l bb"><div class="flex flex-column flex-row-ns mb4 mb5-l"><figure class="mr4-ns ma0 mb2 mb0-l w-100 w-40-ns"><a href=https://www.dpegan.com/blog/the-skill-of-managing-luck/ class=db><img src=https://www.dpegan.com/blog/assets/2018/04/david-kovalenko-G85VuTpw6jg-unsplash-300x225.jpg class="db ma0" alt></a></figure><div class="flex flex-column w-100 w-60-ns pl3-ns"><header class=w-100><h1 class="f3 mv2 lh-title"><a href=https://www.dpegan.com/blog/the-skill-of-managing-luck/ class=db>The skill of managing luck</a></h1></header><p class="f6 lh-copy mv2 flex-auto">“I try pick the managers who will be lucky in the future”</p><footer class=w-100><p class="f7 db mv1">April 22, 2018</p></footer></div></div></article><article class="mv4 mv5-l bb"><div class="flex flex-column flex-row-ns mb4 mb5-l"><figure class="mr4-ns ma0 mb2 mb0-l w-100 w-40-ns"><a href=https://www.dpegan.com/blog/strategic-faith/ class=db><img src=https://www.dpegan.com/blog/assets/2018/02/dumbo.jpg class="db ma0" alt></a></figure><div class="flex flex-column w-100 w-60-ns pl3-ns"><header class=w-100><h1 class="f3 mv2 lh-title"><a href=https://www.dpegan.com/blog/strategic-faith/ class=db>Strategic faith</a></h1></header><p class="f6 lh-copy mv2 flex-auto">An investor without a faith is doomed.</p><footer class=w-100><p class="f7 db mv1">February 12, 2018</p></footer></div></div></article><div class="list-pagination w-100"><ul class="paginate list pl0 tc dt w-100 ma0"><li class="dtc w-25 tl v-mid"><span class="previous pa2 db fw6">&larr; Newer</span></li><li class="dtc w-50 v-mid"><span class="page_number fw6 f7 ttu tracked">1 of 6</span></li><li class="dtc w-25 tr v-mid"><a href=../blog/page/2/ class="next pa2 db fw6" aria-label=Next>Older &rarr;</a></li></ul></div></section></main><footer class="site-footer pa4 bt b--transparent" role=contentinfo><nav class="db dt-l w-100"><p class="site-copyright f7 db dtc-l v-mid w-100 w-33-l tc tl-l pv2 pv0-l mv0 lh-copy">&copy; 2026 Daniel Egan, Manhattan, NY<br>Based on <span xmlns:dct=http://purl.org/dc/terms/ property="dct:title"><a xmlns:dct=http://purl.org/dc/terms/ href=https://github.com/formspree/blogophonic-hugo rel=dct:source>Blogophonic</a></span> by <a xmlns:cc=http://creativecommons.org/ns# href=https://formspree.io property="cc:attributionName" rel=cc:attributionURL>Formspree</a>.<br>Icons created by <a href=https://www.flaticon.com/ title=icons>Freepik</a> and <a href=https://www.flaticon.com/free-icons/prototype title="prototype icons">Flat Icons</a> and <a href=https://www.flaticon.com/free-icons/prototype title="prototype icons">Smash Icons</a>.</p><div class="site-social-links db dtc-l v-mid w-100 w-33-l tc pv2 pv0-l mv0"><div class=social-icon-links><a class="link dim dib h1 w1 mh1" href=https://twitter.com/daniel_egan title=Twitter target=_blank><svg fill="currentcolor" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 16 16" fill-rule="evenodd" clip-rule="evenodd" stroke-linejoin="round" stroke-miterlimit="1.414"><path d="M16 3.038c-.59.26-1.22.437-1.885.517.677-.407 1.198-1.05 1.443-1.816-.634.375-1.337.648-2.085.795-.598-.638-1.45-1.036-2.396-1.036-1.812.0-3.282 1.468-3.282 3.28.0.258.03.51.085.75C5.152 5.39 2.733 4.084 1.114 2.1.83 2.583.67 3.147.67 3.75c0 1.14.58 2.143 1.46 2.732-.538-.017-1.045-.165-1.487-.41v.04c0 1.59 1.13 2.918 2.633 3.22-.276.074-.566.114-.865.114-.21.0-.416-.02-.617-.058.418 1.304 1.63 2.253 3.067 2.28-1.124.88-2.54 1.404-4.077 1.404-.265.0-.526-.015-.783-.045 1.453.93 3.178 1.474 5.032 1.474 6.038.0 9.34-5 9.34-9.338.0-.143-.004-.284-.01-.425.64-.463 1.198-1.04 1.638-1.7z" fill-rule="nonzero"/></svg>
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