"Brain x Psychology 'Business Hacks'" [Season 1-6] Does the 'Loss' of Not Buying Push You? The Trap of Urgency That Moves the Heart
[Psychological Effect in this Episode] Loss Aversion Bias
[Key Point of the Effect] A psychological tendency where the pain of loss is felt more strongly than the gain of the same amount, making it easier to speed up decision-making
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Jiro:
"A-at last...! We have decided to enter our story into the #CreativeAwards2026
#WorkNovelCategory...!"
"I'm so nervous, I've been staring at the entry button, hoping it might just press itself...!"
Hana:
"The button won't press itself (laughs)."
"But, I want more people to watch over Jiro-kun as he stumbles through his sales work and grows little by little, so for a limited time,
I'm making the 'first 8 episodes of Season 1,' which were planned to be paid content, free to read!""
Seiji:
"This story is about Jiro, who, triggered by the doubts and failures he feels in his sales job,
gradually deciphers 'the reasons why people's hearts are moved.'"
Dr. Narita:
"Within Jiro's failures and realizations, there will surely be moments where you think, 'This might be true for me too.'"
Jiro:
"From here, our story begins."
"I'll probably stumble many times, and Hana-san will call me out on it many times...!"
But, every time that happens, I want to learn a little bit and grow.
If you think 'This is interesting,' 'I'm curious about what happens next,' or 'I want to support them,' it would be a huge encouragement if you could
support us with a Like, comment, or share...!
Please watch over our story with us!"
[The Goal of this Note Article]
"You'll lose out if you don't do it now" The moment you are told that, your feelings suddenly lean forward.
Such 'common occurrences' are strange when you think about them. Even though it should be a story about gaining something, the reason your heart is moved is often more about 'not wanting to lose' than the gain itself.
Up to this point in Season 1, we have followed how prices are perceived, how they are compared, and how the burden is felt.
This time, we will take it a step further and decipher together how the feeling of 'not wanting to lose' speeds up decision-making, starting from Jiro's detergent incident.
[Introduction] Jiro buys peace of mind for his old age with detergent
Evening at the office.
Jiro returns to his seat with a face that looks like he has resigned himself, even though it seems hard to say.
Hana:
"What's wrong?"
"You have the face of someone who 'did even the stockpiling they didn't need to do' today."
Jiro:
"...Yes."
"Very much so..."
Seiji:
"Did you buy something?"
Jiro:
"Yesterday, I was looking at detergent at the drugstore..."
"And it was written, 'Lose 300 yen if you don't buy it today!'..."
Hana:
"Uh-huh."
Jiro:
I still have some at home... but before I knew it, I had three bags...
Hana:
Wow, that's the kind of thing that makes you anxious...
It's that thing where 'not wanting to lose' comes before 'gaining'.
Jiro:
Yes...
I just felt like, 'I have to buy this right now or it's a mistake!'...
Hana:
I get it.
Suddenly, there's this atmosphere that says, 'You have to decide now'.
Jiro:
Yes...
When I got home and looked at the shelf, I had enough to last until retirement...
Hana:
That's a different scale of peace of mind (laughs).
Seiji:
Yeah, that's a very natural reaction.
You're probably experiencing loss aversion bias.
Jiro:
Loss aversion bias...?
Is that the thing where you can't stop yourself when you feel like you're going to lose something...?
Hana:
That's mostly right, but don't make it sound like a runaway switch (laughs).
[Term Explanation] Why did that happen?
Seiji:
Loss aversion bias is a mental movement where you feel 'not wanting to lose' more strongly than 'gaining'.
That's why when someone says, 'If you don't buy it now, you'll lose out,' your decision-making speeds up.
Jiro:
So it's not about gaining... it's about not wanting to lose...
Seiji:
Exactly.
For example, 'you'll save 300 yen' is less painful than 'if you miss this today, you'll lose 300 yen'.
Hana:
I see...!
Even if it's the same 300 yen, it suddenly feels more important when you're told it will 'disappear'.
Seiji:
Yes, exactly that.
People are more reactive to the pain of losing than the joy of receiving.
Jiro:
So, I was...
Instead of 'the detergent was a good deal'...
I was being moved by 'if you don't buy it here today, you'll lose out'...
Hana:
Yeah, that's pretty close.
Seiji:
However, the important thing here is that it's not just about 'showing them a loss to make them move'.
What's important is that it's clear what will be lost if they pass on it.
Jiro:
I see...!
So it's not about pushing with 'it's a loss!'...
It's important that it's properly communicated 'what will be lost'...!
Seiji:
Yes, that's a very good understanding.
[Sales Application] How does this work in sales?
Little by little, the conversation about detergent in Jiro's head begins to connect to his work.
Hana:
That sounds like it could really apply to sales, doesn't it?
Seiji:
Yeah, it happens quite a lot.
It's not just about saying 'you'll gain this if you buy it,' but also about conveying 'what you'll lose if you pass on it,' which makes it easier for people to take action.
Hana:
True.
People are more concerned about 'not wanting to miss out' than 'gaining something,' aren't they?
Seiji:
Exactly.
However, the important thing is not to pressure them.
It's about making it clear what is inconvenient about the current situation.
It's about making what they are missing out on visible.
Jiro:
That's true...!
So, in sales, instead of pushing with 'you'll be in trouble if you don't decide now'...
Hana:
I see...
It's not just about making them anxious, but about making sure the difference is clearly understood, right?
Seiji:
Yeah.
It's important to convey 'what will be lost if you don't decide now.'
For example, saying that initial support is included if you sign up this month, or that there are no additional fees with the current plan.
When those 'things to lose' are naturally visible, people find it easier to make calm decisions.
Jiro:
I can see it now...!
It's not about ending with 'you'll lose out,' but about making it clear 'how the current conditions will change,' which makes it easier to judge...!
Seiji:
Yes, exactly.
[Case Study] This is what it looks like in the field
From here on, we will look at how loss aversion bias works in daily life and business situations through the conversations of Jiro and the others.
The point this time is that
wanting to gain is less likely to drive a decision than the feeling of not wanting to lose or miss out.
This isn't just about money.
It also applies to situations where you don't want to lose out on fun, records, points, or a clean state.
Let's look at them one by one.
[Case 1] When you buy unnecessary items just to get free shipping
Jiro:
Aren't online shopping sites amazing...?
Hana:
What's with the sudden change?
Jiro:
The product I wanted was 1,580 yen.
I was just going to buy that, but then this popped up on the screen.
Hana:
What popped up?
Jiro:
"Only 420 yen left until free shipping..."
Hana:
"Ah, I know that feeling."
Jiro:
"At that moment, something changed inside me."
"I felt like, 'Paying for shipping here would be a loss...'"
Hana:
"Please don't compete with shipping costs (laughs)."
Jiro:
"But, for just 420 more yen, the shipping cost disappears, you know?"
"If I paid for shipping there, I'd feel so frustrated..."
Hana:
"At that point, it's not shopping anymore, it's a competition."
Jiro:
"So, I added an 800 yen bath salt set."
Hana:
"To avoid 420 yen, you spent 800 yen more."
Jiro:
"But the shipping became free...!"
Hana:
"You won against the shipping cost, but you lost on the total bill (laughs)."
Jiro:
"And besides, I still had those bath salts at home..."
Hana:
"You've been guided perfectly by the e-commerce site's flow."
Seiji:
"But this is also a situation where loss aversion bias easily appears."
"I think at that moment, for Jiro, 'wanting to avoid the loss of paying for shipping' became stronger than 'what to buy'."
Jiro:
"That's true..."
"Rather than whether or not to buy the product, 'not wanting to pay for shipping' came first..."
Seiji:
"Yeah."
"On e-commerce sites, the display 'only a little more until free shipping' can strongly trigger the desire to avoid loss."
"So what you should look at is not just 'will shipping be free,' but 'is this really a necessary purchase in total.'"
Jiro:
"Wow..."
"I thought I was escaping from shipping costs, but I ended up with bath salts..."
Hana:
"The place you escaped to sounds like it smells pretty good, though (laughs)."
[Case 2] When you can't delete almost identical photos on your smartphone
Jiro:
"I had something similar happen with photos on my smartphone..."
Hana:
"Photos?"
Jiro:
"Yes..."
"My phone storage got full, and it said, 'Please delete some photos.'"
Hana:
"That happens."
"It's hard to delete photos, isn't it?"
Jiro:
"Exactly."
"But when I looked back, I had 38 photos that were all the same..."
Hana:
"38 photos?"
Jiro:
"Yes."
"I took pictures of the same cup, at the same cafe, from the same angle."
Hana:
"That is quite the same."
Jiro:
"But when I try to delete them, I suddenly think:"
"If I delete this one, won't the memory of that day fade a little bit?"
Hana:
"That's not a memory, that's a burst shot."
Jiro:
"But maybe there's a certain atmosphere that only the 37th photo has..."
Hana:
"Probably not."
Jiro:
"In the end, I couldn't delete the photos..."
"I added more cloud storage..."
Hana:
"You paid money to protect your photos."
Jiro:
"Yes..."
"I felt like paying a monthly fee was more bearable than losing those memories..."
Hana:
"Loss aversion is definitely at work there."
Seiji:
"This is also a clear example."
"In this case, I think Jiro felt the pain of 'potentially losing something by deleting photos' much more strongly than the gain of 'freeing up storage space.'"
Jiro:
"That's true..."
"I did want to free up space, but the moment of deleting them was just too painful..."
Seiji:
"Photos and data aren't just files; they are often tied to memories and records."
"That's why deleting them can feel like 'losing something precious' rather than just 'organizing.'"
Hana:
"So that's why it's easy to get people to use cloud storage or backup services."
Seiji:
"Exactly."
"Data storage services aren't just about 'convenient saving'; they also provide the peace of mind that you can 'protect what you don't want to lose.'"
Jiro:
“I see...”
“So, I signed up for a cloud service just to protect 38 photos of my coffee...”
Hana:
“That’s a bit too much to protect, don’t you think? (laughs)”
[Case 3] When you pay with cash because you don't want to reduce your points
Jiro:
“I can really relate to the points thing, too...”
Hana:
“Points?”
Jiro:
“Yes...”
“When I was paying at the store, they asked me, ‘Would you like to use your points?’”
Hana:
“That happens often.”
Jiro:
“At that time, I had 2,480 points saved up...”
“If you think about it normally, it would be a better deal to use them, right?”
Hana:
“Yes, you could use them.”
Jiro:
“But the moment I was about to use them, I thought...”
“Points decrease when you use them, don’t they...”
Hana:
“That’s what points are for.”
Jiro:
“But it was painful to see the number I’d worked so hard to grow go down...”
Hana:
“Please don’t ‘raise’ your points.”
Jiro:
“In the end, I paid with cash to protect my points...”
Hana:
“You’ve become a bodyguard for your points (laughs).”
Jiro:
“Yes...”
“When I looked at the receipt and confirmed that my point balance hadn’t decreased, I felt a little relieved...”
Hana:
“But your money decreased, though.”
Jiro:
“That’s the thing...”
“When I think about it calmly, I should have used them to get a better deal, but for some reason, I protected my point balance...”
Seiji:
“This is a very clear example of loss aversion bias.”
“Points are originally meant to be used to gain an advantage, right?”
“But when you see the accumulated number, it can sometimes feel like your own personal asset.”
Jiro:
“That’s true...”
“Those 2,480 points looked like a little treasure to me...”
Hana:
"I'm getting emotionally attached to the points (laughs)."
Seiji:
"In that case, the pain of 'losing the balance' can sometimes be stronger than the benefit of 'using it to gain.'"
"This is also a mental movement where you tend to feel loss more strongly than gain."
Hana:
"So point systems don't just trigger a purchase, they also influence your psychology after you've accumulated them."
Seiji:
"Yes."
"That's why for those designing them, it's important not just to make them 'easy to save,' but also 'easy to use.'"
"Finding ways to ensure that using them doesn't feel like a loss is also quite important."
Jiro:
"I see..."
"So even the timing of when to use points is something that needs to be designed..."
Hana:
"First, it starts with Jiro-kun letting go of those points."
Jiro:
"I still need a little courage to let them go..."
Hana:
"You're really holding onto them (laughs)."
[Case 4] When you can't eat the last luxury pudding
Hana:
"But the feeling of not wanting to lose something isn't just about money, is it?"
Jiro:
"What do you mean...?"
Hana:
"I had something similar happen when I bought some luxury pudding."
Jiro:
"Even you, Hana-san...?"
Hana:
"I bought a pack of three luxury puddings."
"I ate the first one normally, but the moment it became the last one, I suddenly couldn't bring myself to eat it."
Jiro:
"I get it...!"
"That last one suddenly becomes the emotional support of the refrigerator, doesn't it...!"
Hana:
"I wouldn't go that far."
Jiro:
"But when you open the fridge, don't you think, 'Oh, you're still here...'?"
Hana:
"It's frustrating that I kind of understand that."
Jiro:
"If I eat it, the luxury pudding will be gone from the house..."
Hana:
"Please don't talk about the pudding like it's your roommate."
Jiro:
And what's more, before you eat it, you think 'I want to eat it,' but when it becomes the last one, it changes to 'I don't want to lose it'...
Hana:
That definitely happens.
It feels like you don't want to let go of the state where the enjoyment is still there.
Jiro:
If it were me, I'd probably name the pudding.
Hana:
Please don't.
Jiro:
And every time I open the fridge, I'd say, 'I'm glad you're safe today'...
Hana:
Please don't check on its safety.
Seiji:
But this case is also important.
I think what we're seeing here isn't so much that it's valuable because it's the last one, but rather the feeling that 'if I eat it, the enjoyment will be gone.'
Hana:
Ah, that's right.
Even though I want to eat it, it feels a shame to lose it once I do.
Seiji:
Yeah.
People also feel pain in losing the enjoyment they currently have.
That's why sometimes the 'sadness of it being gone' can feel greater than the joy of eating it.
Jiro:
I see...
So eating the pudding is a gain, but having the pudding disappear feels like a loss...
Seiji:
That's right.
The value of a product isn't just in the moment you buy or use it.
Because the 'enjoyment that still remains' and the 'anticipation of what you can taste later' can also be felt as value.
Hana:
Indeed.
That might be why it's hard to touch the last one of something you're looking forward to.
Jiro:
I can be the one in charge of protecting the last pudding...!
Hana:
Please eat it instead of protecting it (laughs).
[Case 5] When you don't want to dirty a new notebook and can't bring yourself to write on the first page
Hana:
This might be similar to work or putting things out into the world.
Jiro:
Work or putting things out into the world?
Hana:
Don't you feel a little nervous when writing on the first page of a brand-new notebook?
It feels like you're ruining the pristine, white state with your own handwriting.
Jiro:
I get it...!
The first page is like the front door of the notebook world, after all...!
Hana:
That's a strange analogy, but the feeling is similar.
Jiro:
I've stared at the first page of a new notebook many times too.
Thinking, 'If I write something weird here, the future of this notebook will change...'
Hana:
You're putting too much pressure on the notebook's future.
Jiro:
So, I thought I'd write on a practice sheet first...
I wrote the title on the practice sheet, wrote the outline, wrote the headings...
Hana:
If you've done that much, it seems like you could just write in the notebook already.
Jiro:
Yes...
But I couldn't write in the actual notebook, and before I knew it, a year had passed...
Hana:
You're protecting it so much that nothing has even started.
Jiro:
A brand-new notebook has so much potential...
I feel like I can write anything in it...
But the moment I write the first character, I feel like that potential gets narrowed down to just one thing...
Hana:
That's a pretty grand first character.
Seiji:
This can also be seen as loss aversion bias.
In this case, I think the pain of 'losing the pristine, clean state' is felt more strongly than the gain of 'moving forward by starting to write.'
Hana:
Oh, I see.
It's closer to 'not wanting to ruin a clean state' than just not wanting to fail, right?
Seiji:
That's right.
Of course, I think there's also a desire to start perfectly.
But if you look at it as loss aversion, you could say that the psychology of 'not wanting to lose the clean state you have now' is what's stopping you from acting.
Jiro:
That's true...
I would move forward if I wrote, but I felt like I was losing something by writing...
Seiji:
The same thing can happen at work.
Proposals, project plans, social media posts, email drafts.
The more you don't want to fail at the first step or disrupt the current state, the harder it becomes to get moving.
Hana:
Maybe that's true for posting content too.
As long as it's a draft, the potential remains, but once you post it, you get reactions.
It seems like you might stop because you're afraid to see those results.
Seiji:
Yeah.
That's why it's important to think of 'keeping things clean' and 'moving forward' as separate things.
Of course, some things are more pleasant when they stay clean.
But there are also things that only gain meaning once you start using them.
Jiro:
Wow...
I shouldn't have been protecting that new notebook...
Hana:
I think that notebook that's been sitting there for a year is waiting for its turn, too.
Jiro:
I'm going to write on the first page today...!
Hana:
That's great. What are you going to write?
Jiro:
First, I'll write 'Page 1'.
Hana:
That's where it starts (laughs)
[Theoretical Reinforcement] Dr. Narita's Reinforcement
Dr. Narita, who had been listening to the conversation so far, nodded slightly.
Although the situations were different in today's case, there were quite a few commonalities in how the heart moves.
Dr. Narita:
Hmm. Today, it was very clear that the heart is more moved by 'losing' than by 'gaining'.
Hana:
Certainly...
'Not wanting to lose' was more prominent than 'gaining'.
Dr. Narita:
Indeed.
Loss aversion bias is a mental mechanism where, for the same amount of gain and loss, one feels the loss more strongly.
Seiji:
The 'pain of losing' is easier to see as larger than the 'joy of gaining', right?
Dr. Narita:
That's right.
The human brain reacts more strongly to 'what will be lost' than to 'what can be obtained'.
That is why it is easier to speed up a decision by saying 'you might lose this' rather than 'you can gain this'.
Jiro:
So that's why, in many situations...
'Not wanting to lose' came before 'whether it's a gain'...
Dr. Narita:
Indeed.
Moreover, this 'not wanting to lose' doesn't just apply to money.
Records, enjoyment, the state of things remaining, a clean state. It works the same way for those things too.
Hana:
Certainly.
It felt more like 'I don't want to lose what I have now' rather than 'I don't want to lose money'.
Dr. Narita:
Indeed.
Therefore, what is important in sales is not to make the other party anxious and rush them.
It is to show them, in a way that seems sincere, 'what will be lost' or 'what will be missed' if things stay as they are.
Seiji:
Yeah.
It's not about loudly saying 'it's a loss,' but rather making the 'current conditions' or 'what will be lost' clearly visible.
Dr. Narita:
Exactly.
Loss aversion is not a weapon to corner the other party.
It is a guide line to help someone who is hesitant organize and understand 'what they will miss if they pass on this now'.
Jiro:
So that's what it is...!
I've only been looking at 'how much of a gain it is' until now...
But if I also look at 'what I don't want to lose,' the decision-making process becomes easier to understand...!
Dr. Narita:
Indeed.
When people are in a hurry, behind that is not only 'wanting' but also 'not wanting to lose'.
When you can see that, your proposals will become much more refined.
[Summary] Today's Takeaway
Finally, let's recap today's discussion together.
Hana:
This time, it was about how 'not wanting to lose' is more likely to move feelings than 'wanting to gain'.
Shipping fees, points, and even that last pudding—I couldn't stop because I 'hated for them to be gone'.
Seiji:
Yeah, that's right.
That's why in sales, it's easier to move a decision if you can see not just 'what you can get,' but also 'what you will miss if you pass on it now'.
Jiro:
"I see...!"
"I've only ever looked at whether something is a 'good deal' or not..."
"But it's also important to look at 'what I'm trying to protect by rushing'...!"
Seiji:
"Yeah."
"That's exactly why it's important not to just shout 'It's a loss!', but to make it clear what will be lost right now."
Jiro:
"Yes...!"
"I almost ended up just pushing everything by saying 'It's a waste!' the whole time...!"
Hana:
"Well, that would make you the 'Waste Prevention Squad' (laughs)."
Seiji:
"But you were able to organize your thoughts quite well today."
Jiro:
"Really...?"
"I'm so glad...!"
"From now on, I'll look at not just whether it's a 'good deal,' but also 'what I'm trying to protect by acting'...!"
Hana:
"Everyone, have you ever thought you acted because it was a 'good deal,' but looking back, realized that the desire to 'not lose out' was the real motivator?"
"Surprisingly, this happens not just with shopping, but in many familiar situations, doesn't it?"
Jiro:
"If you can think of any such situations..."
"I'd love to hear about those moments where you thought, 'I was acting because I didn't want to lose out,' in the comments...!"
"Stories like mine, where I was a bit too protective, are also very welcome...!"
[A takeaway summary for readers]
People are more likely to make quick decisions based on 'not wanting to lose' than 'gaining something.'
Therefore, what's important in sales is not to emphasize how much of a 'good deal' it is, but to specifically convey 'what you will lose if you pass on this.'
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Season 1-7. "'Only a few left' creates value... The psychological mechanism that draws out 'desire'"
{Scarcity Principle}
A psychological principle where the harder something is to obtain, the more valuable it appears, making it easier to prompt action.