December 13, 2017, by apysk2

Decision Making (A Cartoon Edition)

Ever wondered why some decisions are so hard to make? Well, I just had a lecture which might be able to help…

 

Rational decisions – Some things aren’t for everyone

 

We all make important decisions. We do this by predicting and weighing up outcomes. Seeing as everyone has different preferences, we must go with the decision which most aligns with our individual preferences. So far, so good.

SO: If you wanted to find out more about this blog, you would be rational to carry on reading!

 

Irrational decisions – Some things we just get wrong

BUT, sometimes we find ourselves predicting and weighing up outcomes, understanding which decision is best for us, and then going against our preferences anyway. This is madness?! BUT. There may be good reason for this madness. We might’ve used other people’s preferences. OR, perhaps we just weren’t in our right minds at the time. Seems simple enough.

SO: If you know lions are dangerous, it would be irrational to climb into the lion enclosure at the zoo.

 

Non Rational – Some things we just aren’t able to predict 

 

Often we try to predict and weigh up outcomes but still come to a dead end! Sometimes there’s no way of knowing what outcomes we’d prefer. No way of even estimating our preferences. There’s simply no starting point. The preferences can only be attributed AFTER the experience. And it’s not over yet… You can’t even ask someone who’s had the same experience. *Sigh*

 

‘What’s so special about these experiences!?’ I hear you cry.

 

Well. They’re TRANSFORMATIVE: they teach you something that you couldn’t have otherwise known before!

 

SO: If you’re struggling to decide which Universities to apply to, don’t worry. There’s no rational answer anyway!

Boy, I sure hope not all philosophy lectures are that confusing…

• Share on Facebook
• Share on Twitter
• Share on Google+
• Share on LinkedIn