Research shows that hindsight is far from 20/20-and foresight, in some situations, is even worse.

Can cold, hard cash actually make you feel stronger? Yes, says professor Kathleen Vohs, whose studies showed that handling money actually reduced research subjects' physical and psychological pain levels. In fact, even pictures of cash had the same effect. Her research shows that money makes people more self-sufficient and more motivated-though it also makes them less helpful, less social, and less charitable. Her findings have interesting implications for companies in their dealings with customers as well as in their efforts to motivate employees.