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5 Sure Ways to Make Poor Decisions
Biases and decision making
Biases filter our experiences and affect the way we understand the world, only allowing us to see what we want to see. As we gather information, the brain uses what it knows to interpret it, but the information we receive is rarely entirely accurate, complete, or unbiased.
Always consider the likely accuracy of the data, what might be missing, and what biases exist in the observer or reporter.
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Understand Decision Fatigue
It’s important to be aware of what state of mind you’re in before tackling a hard choice.
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Decision making and biases
Experts have known for a while that ...
Mental time travel
A common decision-making problem is failing to have enough imagination with regards to what could go wrong or falling victim to simple overconfidence.
Envision the future. There’s evidence that this exercise can broaden your outlook and highlight problems that might not come to mind otherwise.
Don’t make an important decision
... when you're hungry, or sleepy, or angry.
Research has shown that our susceptibility to bias increases when we’re stressed, whether because of exhaustion, hunger, or a heightened emotional state.
Delaying a crucial decision, if possible, might be preferable to making it under conditions of stress.