Everyone has been nudged in at least one shape or form, at one point in time you have either asked or been asked for advice, if you have an opinion relating to the person’s decision, you are nudging them into concurring with your stance. In this essay, I will explore the ins …show more content…
Paternalism is generally conducted by limiting the options which the nudger thinks are either the poor, or in business the unethical choice. The author’s in this book address the practice of nudging children in school cafeterias into making healthier food choices. The debate is whether or not this limits individual freedom, by placing junk foods behind or above healthier alternatives like fruits or salads is a nudge, however, it does not eliminate the option of the junk food entirely. There are many examples of how paternalism has been implemented, or the attempt has been made to incorporate paternalistic protocols, an excellent example is the debate of mandatory helmet laws. Individuals have debated whether motorcycle riders should be required to wear helmets by law. An article published by Santa Clara University went into detail about this particular debate/issue, this particular case is about the state of California wanting to place a law in effect to make in mandatory for motorcyclists to wear helmets, with the thought process behind the law …show more content…
The professor’s response is where I truly learned a valuable lesson, he could’ve chosen the academic response, “To make you a well-rounded individual” or pulled out a statistical response, stating that “less than 40% of people work in their field of study”, but no, he didn’t choose either of these. Instead he chose a very blunt, and explicit answer; “Well, someone a long time ago, someone who was more powerful than you, someone more educated, likely more intelligent than you, decided what was required to learn in your curriculum, and they decided that because they knew what was best for you when you enter the workforce.” the student was rather shocked at his response and as was I, seeming it was a tad harsh and condescending, but it spoke to me as an undergraduate student, it really put into perspective what I was doing in my studies. I bring this up because do believe in the right of having your freedom, but I also know that I am not an expert in everything, and that if the people in charge of my curriculum decide that I need to take Calculus, Accounting, Psychology & Philosophy in order to get my degree in Marketing, I am going to trust their judgement. Similarly, if I were a