Eight misconceptions about nudges

There are many misconceptions about nudges and nudging, and some of them are widespread. For example, some people believe that nudges are manipulative; that nudges are hidden or covert; that nudges are difficult to define; that nudges are an insult to human agency; that nudges are based on excessive trust in government; that nudges exploit behavioral biases; that nudges depend on a belief that human beings are irrational; and that nudges work only at the margins, do not affect structures, and cannot accomplish much. These are mistakes. Nudges are generally transparent rather than covert or forms of manipulation; nudges are not difficult to define; nudges always respect, and often promote, human agency; because nudges insist on preserving freedom of choice, they do not put excessive trust in government; many nudges are educative, and even when they are not, they tend to make life simpler and more navigable; and some nudges have quite large impacts. It is true that for countless problems, nudges are hardly enough. They cannot eliminate poverty, unemployment, and corruption. But by itself, any individual initiative - whether it is a tax, a subsidy, a mandate, or a ban - is unlikely to solve large problems. Denting them counts as an achievement.