Harry Helson: 2 ideas worth knowing

2 ideas from Harry Helson, each explained in a minute and credited to the original work. Free on Savvy.

The same offer looks generous or stingy, depending only on what came right before it
Show someone a mediocre apartment right after a terrible one, and it suddenly looks great; show the identical apartment after a fantastic one, and it looks disappointing. Nothing a…
— Harry Helson, Adaptation-Level Theory: An Experimental and Systematic Approach to Behavior
A medium-weight object feels heavier right after you lift something light
Judgments of weight, temperature, price, and even attractiveness shift depending on what was just experienced beforehand, not just the object itself. Lift a light object first and …
— Harry Helson, Adaptation-Level Theory: An Experimental and Systematic Approach to Behavior

Five ideas worth knowing, every week