Food For Thought

I recently learned that winning a bronze medal in the Olympics is better than winning a silver medal. I’m competitive; this makes no sense to me. How is placing 3rd in a competition better than placing 2nd?  These are elite athletes that are top in their sport; why wouldn’t they want the center stand on the podium after all the sacrifices made to compete? The answer is in a 1995 study completed by psychologists Victoria Medvec, S.F. Madey, and Thomas Gilovich. The study explores “counterfactual” thinking or alternative outcomes and explains this phenomenon.  And when you hear why, it makes sense.