Comments on: When Flipping a Coin Ain’t Good Enough

By: Adieu…For Now | {Tinkering}

Adieu…For Now | {Tinkering} — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 21:44:55 +0000

[...] all the time. But mine just got a whole lot more complicated. After spending much of the fall agonizing about it, our family has decided to move to Montreal, Canada next spring. We are incredibly excited about [...]

By: Karen

Karen — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:01:10 +0000

Just the other day, I realized that I spent more time contemplating which immersion blender to buy than we spent contemplating whether or not to make on offer on our house! 20 minutes vs. 2 minutes.

By: Julia

Julia — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 01:50:17 +0000

Karen,
I envy your decision-making style! I’ve always been prone to agonizing. But I think that when I fret about a decision it usually means (a) the choice before me is actually inconsequential; or (b) all of the options are great. Or both.

Every now and then I have these flashes of humility where I realize just how absurdly lucky I am to have more choice and opportunity than most of the world could probably even imagine.

By: Karen

Karen — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 23:02:49 +0000

Also: In our affluent, consumer-oriented society, we are all too often presented with way too many options. Why are there 17,329 different types of shampoos in the aisles when really we only need two – for dandruff, and not for dandruff. Our hair will be as clean regardless of what we use to wash it.

By: Karen

Karen — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 23:01:00 +0000

I have taken the life tactic of not making decisions. I don’t shop around for anything, I buy the first one that I like of whatever it is. First college I visited – attended. First boy I dated – married. First house I looked at – bought. First car on the lot in my price range – bought.

I figure that in the long run I’d rather pay more/not get the very best (except in the case of Daniel!) than spend time and psychic energy worrying about making the best choice.

Vicki & I at lunch today were discussing our decision making style, which is to just go ahead and make a decision, knowing that it may not work out as we intended, but that at least we are keeping things moving, rather than stagnating. As the old adage goes, don’t let perfect be the enemy of good.

By: The Two Career Tango | {Tinkering}

The Two Career Tango | {Tinkering} — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 18:00:23 +0000

[...] I’d probably leave it all alone and write about something simpler if I could. But we have this decision to make, and these issues are right in the middle of [...]

By: Althea

Althea — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 19:52:05 +0000

I’m excited for you, Julia! Opportunities mean making big, scary choices. I believe that you and Chris and little E. will thrive in any situation that comes your way.
And I like your suggestion about imagining the worst case. That one helps me a lot. I like to look the worst in the face because it often emboldens me.
You guys are great!

By: Cricket

Cricket — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 17:46:49 +0000

Often times not having a choice at all is the worst case scenario. It seems to me that often the choices we face and the decisions that need to be made feel like hard work – rather than the reward of hard work or good fortune. Ironic, eh?

For more information on the decisionmaking process (a study of the process not necessarily a book of answers) – I recommend Jonah Lehrer’s How We Decide . He happens to be speaking here in Madison this Friday for the book festival.