During a segment on decision-making in my high school health class, we discussed what goes into decision-making and what makes us the decision makers that we are. To this end, I jotted down these words:
One’s decision-making strategy is dependent, to some degree, on the type of decision he or she is faced with. Some decisions are, frankly, not that life-altering (e.g., what to order at a restaurant, which shoes to purchase), while others are much more serious (e.g., whether or not to marry, the school you wish to attend). That being admitted, a good portion of decision-making is more about who and what we are than it is about a logical progression or step-by-step process. This is not to say that we cannot articulate factors that–whether consciously held or not–actually contribute to our decision-making. It’s just that decision-making, over the long term, is about our attitudes, the influences around us, the experiences we’ve had, and the people who are a part of our lives.
Beyond this, or so it seems to me, we cannot avoid seeing some decisions as inherently morality based. That is, we make at least certain choices based on whether or not we believe those choices are right or wrong. This leads many (not all) people to rely on (and draw from) ethics/morality-determining factors such as religious beliefs, spirituality, or some (perhaps undefined) higher reality or purpose. This reality or purpose includes standards of morality, of course, but it is never limited to the application of specific "rules." Our beliefs, in other words, not only inform us, but they actually help to shape us.
How, then, might we improve our capacity for making make wise decisions? One sure way is by becoming better decision makers, that is, better and wiser human beings. This, it appears, is inextricably linked to our spheres of influence, the people and places with which we have regular contact. Some of these cannot be easily altered, but some of them are well within our control.
To summarize, decision-making is a complex and on-going activity that relates to who we are (and are becoming), our experiences (consciously chosen or not), and the various influences in our lives. All of these are affected by deep personal beliefs, spoken or not, which provide the atmosphere or framework within which we make our choices.
One’s decision-making strategy is dependent, to some degree, on the type of decision he or she is faced with. Some decisions are, frankly, not that life-altering (e.g., what to order at a restaurant, which shoes to purchase), while others are much more serious (e.g., whether or not to marry, the school you wish to attend). That being admitted, a good portion of decision-making is more about who and what we are than it is about a logical progression or step-by-step process. This is not to say that we cannot articulate factors that–whether consciously held or not–actually contribute to our decision-making. It’s just that decision-making, over the long term, is about our attitudes, the influences around us, the experiences we’ve had, and the people who are a part of our lives.
Beyond this, or so it seems to me, we cannot avoid seeing some decisions as inherently morality based. That is, we make at least certain choices based on whether or not we believe those choices are right or wrong. This leads many (not all) people to rely on (and draw from) ethics/morality-determining factors such as religious beliefs, spirituality, or some (perhaps undefined) higher reality or purpose. This reality or purpose includes standards of morality, of course, but it is never limited to the application of specific "rules." Our beliefs, in other words, not only inform us, but they actually help to shape us.
How, then, might we improve our capacity for making make wise decisions? One sure way is by becoming better decision makers, that is, better and wiser human beings. This, it appears, is inextricably linked to our spheres of influence, the people and places with which we have regular contact. Some of these cannot be easily altered, but some of them are well within our control.
To summarize, decision-making is a complex and on-going activity that relates to who we are (and are becoming), our experiences (consciously chosen or not), and the various influences in our lives. All of these are affected by deep personal beliefs, spoken or not, which provide the atmosphere or framework within which we make our choices.
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