How we decide

"[When you have] a certainty and a doubt, go with the certainty."
--The Talmud

Some of us are risk-takers, some are risk averse. Some of us have an easy time making decisions, even decisions that are very consequential. Others hem and haw, considering the possibilities and consequences with a constant flow of "what-if" scenarios that often confuse and obfuscate a decision. We don't always understand how we make decisions or why. This area of our brain function is such a mystery to us and so important that the rabbis of the Talmud weighed in on it (See BT Bava Batra 135 and BT Bava Metzia 97 as examples). In a number of places, the Talmud uses the expression above to discuss how decisions should be made. When faced with a definite and predictable outcome versus a vague possibility, the ancient sages advised going with the certainty.

Today, we know more about the way our brains work but the area of decision making is still elusive. Jonah Lehrer, a journalist and author of the blog "The Frontal Cortex" wrote a whole book on the subject, "How We Decide." He contends that since the ancient Greek philosophers, we have regarded human beings as rational creatures. Our ability to reason became a hallmark of being human. The problem, however, is that many of our decisions are far from rational; they may be highly irrational on a regular basis. The person afraid of lung cancer who smokes or the alcoholic who is crippling her family life but reaches for one more drink show us how false the assumption of rationality is. It was former Federal Reserve Board Chairman Alan Greenspan who coined the term "irrational exuberance" to describe spending behaviors that defy reason. When it comes to irrational decision making, we are all guilty.

Lehrer demonstrates that this long-held view of rationality has gotten in the way of understanding just how complex decision making really is:

It turns out that we weren't designed to be rational creatures. Instead, the mind is composed of a messy network of different areas, many of which are involved with the production of emotion. Whenever someone makes a decision, the brain is awash in feeling, driven by its inexplicable passions. Even when a person tries to be reasonable and restrained, these emotional impulses secretly influence judgment.

Looked at in this way, our view of ourselves is compromised. Life decisions are not linear math problems requiring a calculating and logical mind. Each decision we make is a salad of forces, a push-pull on the brain.

The scholars of the Talmud, perhaps aware of this mess of our minds, advised us to consider outcomes and work backwards. When we know a choice will result in a sure thing, we should pick that over something less certain. It gives us the illusion of control and forces some degree of thoughtfulness in the face of irrationality.

Why is it important to think about how we make decisions? As a parent, helping children make wise, independent and considered decisions may be one of the most important life skills we can provide them. But the benefits aren't only for the next generation. Helping ourselves slow down and think about the issues that cloud and inform our decision-making helps us understand, on the most basic level, what makes us tic, what comprises our identity. Who am I that I made that particular decision over another? And, when faced with a certainty and a doubt, according to the Talmud, go with the certainty every time.

Shabbat Shalom

By Erica Brown  |  February 18, 2010; 9:18 AM ET Save & Share:                 
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