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Death by Dashboard

When progress falters, our confidence often goes with it. This episode explores why short-term performance can carry more psychological weight than it deserves.
May 18, 2026
Podcast cover: Death by Dashboard

Choiceology with Katy Milkman | S17 EP5

Death by Dashboard

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After you listen

From stocks to fitness to video games, real-time performance data is available everywhere these days. Seeing desirable upward trends feels amazing. But when there's a drop, it can feel like the world is ending.

In this episode of Choiceology with Katy Milkman, we explore what happens when we judge performance too much in the short term.

Cora Kennedy takes us inside the world of collegiate esports, where constant performance data shapes how players think and compete—including Cora herself. We also hear from Dan Ginn, who was a smartwatch devotee who checked his fitness data morning, noon, and night—until a serious illness forced him to rethink his habits.

Lastly, Katy speaks with Shlomo Benartzi, professor emeritus, behavioral decision-making, at UCLA Anderson School of Management. Shlomo shares his research on why we tend to overreact to short-term losses—and how this tendency helps explain a puzzle that has long stumped economists.

Choiceology is an original podcast from Charles Schwab.

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