Why More Laws Mean Less Freedom
Ever notice how every problem gets the same solution? “We need a new rule!” But what if our obsession with better regulations is actually making things worse? In this provocative episode, André Daus dismantles the dangerous myth that rules create better behavior, exposing how our rule-obsessed society is strangling innovation, crushing individual responsibility, and achieving the opposite of what it intends.
From MiFID banking regulations that drown customers in paperwork while protecting no one, to urban traffic policies that create more congestion, to EU tech regulations that block innovation under the guise of environmental protection – Daus reveals the uncomfortable truth: people don’t follow the spirit of rules, they follow the structure of rewards. Students chase grades, not knowledge. Sales teams hit revenue targets while destroying profit margins. Engineers optimize for benchmarks that have nothing to do with real-world performance.
But here’s the kicker: every rule system automatically creates its own loopholes. It’s not a bug – it’s human nature. Smart, lazy people will always find ways to game the system, because that’s exactly what smart, lazy people do.
Drawing from behavioral economics and years of consulting experience, Daus challenges the fundamental assumption that more control equals better outcomes. Instead, he argues for fewer rules, clearer principles, and systems that work with human psychology rather than against it. He tackles the inclusion paradox head-on: rigid “one-size-fits-all” rules don’t create equality – they create equal mediocrity.
If you’re frustrated with bureaucracy masquerading as progress, if you believe in personal responsibility over regulatory micromanagement, or if you’re simply curious about why well-intentioned policies so often backfire spectacularly, this episode will fundamentally change how you think about control, compliance, and creating real change in complex systems.
