I'm fascinated by what motivates people. Understanding how someone arrives at a decision is a particular hobby of mine. It's one of the main reasons that one of my wife's nicknames for me is "But why" ― because I ask so many questions. 

I was listening to a podcast earlier this week and a brother and sister team of economists were talking about the results of a study they had conducted. The study examined a dynamic they called "conspicuous conservation." The idea that drives the…