The opposite is not true. We rarely change short-term behavior
with long-term feedback.
That's why sanctions rarely work well in international politics,
and why cigarette taxes are the best way to keep people from
getting lung cancer.
Sure, intelligent adults should be smart enough to figure out
the net present value of a lifetime of cigarette purchases, plus
the long-term health costs. And some are. But not enough.
And students should be smart enough to realize that extra effort
and expense in college might pay off in income or happiness in a
few decades. And some are. But not enough.
If you want to reward (or punish) short-term behavior, don't do
it down the road. Advances turn more heads than royalty streams do.
"
See more at at Seth's Blog
(http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2014/08/short-term-long-term.html)
