Anyone who’s ever been on a diet knows the advice:  don’t buy the junk food.  You only need will-power for an hour while you shop, instead of every minute you are within reach of the kitchen.  That’s using your own human nature to nudge yourself towards your goal.

How do you feel when the government sets up the “nudge”?  Suppose it is Facebook, or your bank “helping” you?

A recent article on Slate brought up this idea of nudges http://slate.me/1zQVUJG.  Cass Sunstein, a former White House official, explained automatic enrollment in retirement savings plans.  Since we-the-tax-payers are not going to let an irresponsible person starve in their elder years, government has an interest in everyone saving for retirement.  Employer-based savings plans are never neutral:  they must require individuals to either opt-in or opt-out.  Why not default to the choice that is most helpful?

If you have to actively opt-in, many people procrastinate and end up with less money in retirement.  The default to participate “works”.  Automatic enrollment means many millions of people are saving who would not otherwise have bothered.  Freedom is preserved since individuals can opt out.

What about other government help?  New York City planned to ban the sale of sugared sodas larger than 16 ounces.  Like many of my friends, I sneered.  But, I had to wonder:  Would it work?  Apparently, that question is too mundane  for most pundits to address.  There is some research to suggest that, like keeping junk food out of your kitchen, limiting the size sugary drinks would help with weight control.  Knowing the ban would help millions control their weight makes me wonder if I jumped to an opinion too quickly.

Is it helpful or creepy for governments and corporations to nudge individuals?  There is a lot of room for debate over opt-in versus opt-out and how intrusive a nudge can be tolerated.  Does it matter to you whether the nudge would work?

I realize there are a lot of question marks in this commentary.  I won’t try to answer those questions for you.  I have faith in our ability, as a community, to arrive at good answers, so long as we have rational debates.