Four Villains Of Decision Making

This is an idea from the book Decisive by Chip and Dan Heath.

Narrow Framing:

When making a decision, this is our tendency to define our choices too narrowly, where we see them in binary terms. Imagine you are going through a difficult phase with your partner. If you are thinking in a narrow frame- you ask yourself, “Should I break up with my partner or not?” instead of, “What are the ways I could make this relationship work?”

Widen your choices– Avoid thinking in terms of binaries and explore options. So instead of getting stuck with this or that, widen your scope and give yourself more options.

Confirmation Bias

This is our tendency to select the information that supports our preexisting attitudes and beliefs. We pretend we want the truth, but we really want reassurance. 

Reality-Test Your assumptions. Recognize this is a dangerous bias and seek information that could challenge your assumptions. 

Short-term Emotion

When we have a difficult decision to make, fear and anxiety take over. We replay the same arguments over and over again in our heads. We agonize about our situation, flip-flopping in our minds.  

Attain Distance before deciding- Don’t decide when in the grip of emotions-positive or negative.

Overconfidence

This is the illusion we create in our minds thinking we know more than we actually do about how the future will unfold. 

Prepare to be wrong- What if things go wrong? How would you handle it? Think about and plan for the downside.