India, Feb. 12 -- When faced with a problem, our instinct is rarely to stand still. We are wired to act, to intervene, to be seen to be doing something.

Behavioural economists illustrate this with a striking football analogy. Statistics show that when defending a penalty kick, goalkeepers almost always dive either to the right or the left. They stay in the centre barely 6% of the time. Yet penalty takers are just as likely to shoot straight down the middle as to aim for either corner. Statistically, the optimal strategy for the goalkeeper would be to stay put roughly one-third of the time. That would result in more saves. But goalkeepers rarely do that - because it is far more embarrassing to stand still and watch the ball sail past than...