Rocking Gently

From The Guardian 19th July 2011:
"Healthier behaviour plans are nudge in the wrong direction, say peers: House of Lords committee criticises attempts to curb junk food and alcohol consumption through voluntary agreements"

This article relates to a House of Lords science and technology committee report which questioned ministers use of what is known as the nudge theory.

Nudge theory is described in the book by Thaler and Sunstein entitled "Nudge: Improving decisions about health, wealth and happiness". Nudge theory advocates influencing behaviour by altering the context or environment in which people choose.

Here are a couple of quotes from the book:
"Nudges count as such and qualify as libertarian paternalism only if any costs are low"
"By properly deploying both incentives and nudges, we can improve our ability to improve peoples lives"

Nudge theory is relevant to social policy; it is not a tool to be used at the individual level. For instance, to pry into peoples personal habits is not a nudge, it's a poke in the ribs and a health consultant should not do it.

Infact, often people find themselves tossed precariously on stormy waters; a little nudge from government in such a situation is not going to have much influence. In such a situation, the Health Consultant would wish to support and assist you until you feel yourself rocking gently on those waves.

Stevie Smith - Not Waving But Drowning

Nobody heard him, the dead man,
But still he lay moaning:
I was much further out than you thought
And not waving but drowning.

Poor chap, he always loved larking
And now he's dead
It must have been too cold for him his heart gave way,
They said.

Oh, no no no, it was too cold always
(Still the dead one lay moaning)
I was much too far out all my life
And not waving but drowning.