Why Are We Bad At Making Rational Decisions?

It seems that more and more people are letting emotions, not logic, influence their decisions. So why is it so difficult for us to make rational decisions? This question is the center of many debates, research and theories of science. In this article, we look at some of the most important aspects of the problem.

We try to show that people are much more rational than many tend to believe, and systematically explain reasoning. No one is exempt from using the wrong logic. We are all irrational parts of the time. The more complex our wait-and-see decisions, the more irrational we tend to be.

We can only define irrationality as opposed to rationality. So first we will talk about what it means to be rational. Rationality takes two forms:

• The first is rational thought. Rational thinking leads to the conclusion that is probably correct, considering all available knowledge. It is more complicated to make decisions this way because you have to take into account all the variables.

• The second type of rationality acts in such a way that the person, with the knowledge available to them, has the best probability of achieving his goal.

Why is it so difficult to make rational decisions?

The book Irrationality: The Enemy Within answers the question of why we make so many mistakes when trying to justify and solve problems. It gives a skeptical but hopeless view of our ability to think logically and act accordingly. In addition, readers learn various procedures that they can follow to improve their abilities.

You will not be able to solve all your problems with the procedures suggested by the author, Stuart Sutherland. But if you had the information from this book before, you would have been less likely to make bad decisions.

Studying mechanisms of irrationality is a path to self-knowledge. It also gives you a better understanding of how society works. Obedience, conformism, inaccuracy, organizational madness, incorrect context, halo effect, spectator effect, stereotypes… These are some of the things that researchers study as possible sources of bad reasoning.

On the other hand, rationality also has to do with decision-making. People tend to believe that if your choices lead you to your goals, then you are a rational person. If not, then you are not. There are various psychological factors that lead you to make good decisions. The most important are the ability to postpone the judgment, the complexity of the decision and the emotional influence.

Are you aware that you are falling into the trap of your own irrational thinking?

Faith does not come straight from reality. Sometimes it comes from the need to maintain your self-esteem. For example, if you think others are unreliable, it may be because you need to see yourself as an honest person in comparison.

Thus, the most iron-clad beliefs sometimes hide only deep fear. They can also be a projection of characteristics or qualities you do not want to accept because they conflict with the idealized image you have of yourself.

Sometimes we are too comfortable and we do not want to change. When you believe in something, choose the most comfortable position that allows you to remain static. You do not have to change or continue to search. It does not matter what you think. When you decide that your faith is true, your search is over. There is one thing that can lead to logical errors.

Can you train yourself to make rational decisions?

You can train yourself to think a certain way. Since you were little, the people in your life taught you all kinds of behaviors related to personal hygiene. Brush your teeth, take a shower, groom your nails, eat, learn to dress, etc. But what about mental hygiene? How about taking care of your psyche?

To begin with, you need to recognize that sometimes your mind is fooling you. The reality you observe around you passes through some filters before you process it. This means that the same event (changes, breakdowns or unexpected situations, for example) can be interpreted very differently. You can see it as a fantastic opportunity or something very bad.

These mental filters are so powerful that they can become traps. They catch you and sometimes cause them unpleasant feelings. Also, they can lead you to make bad decisions or jump to false conclusions.

Rational guidelines

The good news is that if you take care of your mind, you can escape from your own intellectual traps. How? Follow these rational guidelines and you will find it easier to make rational decisions and solve your problems:

• Look for evidence or arguments that go against your beliefs.
• Do not take a statement as true just because you believe in a part of it.
• Remember that changing your mind in the light of new evidence is a sign of strength, not weakness.
• Try not to let yourself be led away towards an action that you would not have chosen in the first place.
• Do not let yourself be caught up in group mentality. If you would not do it on your own, do not do it just because others do.

You can not solve all your mistakes by making decisions with the tips in this article, but with a little effort you can probably make more rational decisions and better understand how the world really works.