Consider the following scenarios: 1. A pundit makes a prediction you know is wrong. You'd like publicly challenge the pundit by offering a bet, but you don't trust them to pay up when they're wrong. The pundit doesn't know you, and probably doesn't trust you either. 2. You're an academic...
This is a rewrite of an old post of mine, incorporating ideas from Alicorn's earlier post on the same topic. One of the things stopping people from donating a substantial part of their income to charity is the risk of a future financial downfall, which can be anything from unemployment...
One of the things stopping people from donating a substantial part of their income to charity is the risk of a future financial downfall, which can be anything from unemployment to illness. Even in a rich country with a solid social safety net, the idea of having no financial buffer...