Cass R. Sunstein, Columnist

Is It Better to Win Bronze Than Silver?

Research suggests that in the Olympics, those who finish third are likely to be a lot happier than those who finish second.

February 11, 2014 at 9:27 PM UTC

By Cass R. Sunstein

Cass R. Sunstein is a former Bloomberg Opinion columnist. He is the author of “The Cost-Benefit Revolution” and a co-author of “Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth and Happiness.”

Photographer: Antonin Thuillier/AFP/Getty Images

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Imagine that for most of your life, you have been preparing for the Olympics. You are intensely competitive, and you badly want to win. But you know that in your event, only one person can win Olympic gold, and that only three can bring home a medal. Silver is better than bronze, of course; it's great to be third in the world, but it's even better to be second.

Or is it?