Make a Difficult Decision by Thinking About What You Will Say to a Friend
When you are making a big decision, it can be difficult to know what to do. Your emotions and prejudices can get in your way because you are too close to the situation. To make a decision, think about what you would recommend to a friend.
When you have a friend who is considering difficult choices, it is easy enough to give him advice. You don’t have to do the job; difficulties do not bother you. This way, you can give them convincing and objective feedback. This can help you remember this when it comes time to make your own tough decisions. Ask yourself what advice you would give a friend, and then apply that advice to your situation. The Essentialist clarifies:
Avoiding discomfort and pain is deeply rooted in our brains that have helped us survive for millions of years. But today, facing pain and discomfort doesn’t mean you should avoid it. In fact, it is more often than not wise to accept this. Think about it. No one has ever achieved greatness by staying comfortable and avoiding pain and discomfort. When you give advice, you can get around the shitty, destructive emotion between stimulus and response. You also discard various biases such as sequence bias, loss aversion, social pressures, and negativity bias.
It is not absolute. Your advice is likely to require more attention. But the advice is to think about what you would say to someone in your position, and then use your own objective advice as part of your decision.
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The Easy Way To Improve Your Decision Making | Essentialist