The Top 4 Lessons in Behavioral Economics From Dilbert

Dilbert’s boss shows overconfidence by assuming that all management is – himself included – above average. This is hardly the truth, in general. As for Dilbert’s boss, he completely misses the jab attacking his math skills because he’s too focused on himself.

Overconfidence of bosses can end up putting their companies in risky ventures. We all need to take some time to cool our egos and look at the world around us more realistically.

Framing refers to how a person makes decision depending upon how the information is presented. Framing effect is often used in marketing to influence decision-makers and purchases.

You can use this strategy to engage customers to buy your products. But depending on how you frame your messages, it can also be used to make the best of a bad situation.

Sometimes, it is hard to let go of something valuable without realizing that letting go is greater than we think. 

Sometimes, a loss can feel more powerful than a gain of the same magnitude and vice versa. Considering the pain of a loss – or euphoria of a gain – can weigh heavily on future decisions it can cause more harm than good.

Confirmation bias is when you actually seek out evidence to support a predisposed belief. 

In this strip, Dilbert's boss believes that his managerial skills can affect the company stock. His belief is later reinforced, mostly by coincidence. However, because he was affected by bias he mistook the research as confirmation.