How to Make Hard Choices

Hello there! I seem to have a lot of spare time this week, so what better way to spend it than sharing new things with you? This TED video came out a little while ago, but I watched it just recently and couldn't help but marvel at how profound and insightful it is. Ruth Chang is a philosopher who presents a compelling explanation about hard choices.

I don't know what the decision-making process is for you guys, but I personally draw upon two primary sources for information as I think through a hard choice: the heart and the mind. Psychologists probably have different terms for these, but basically the heart represents that gut feeling--instinctual, but often reckless voice. The mind, on the flip side, often mulls over the facts, weighs pros and cons, and is the voice of reason.

For me, my hardest choices come around when the two voices give me conflicting conclusions, or when one of them doesn't know what to say. Furthermore, as Chang says, the mind can compile lists of information that in the end don't amount to very much. What should I listen to, the heart or the mind?

The way I see it, the mind finds reasons for making a choice. But the heart creates reasons as you make the choice.

So, when faced with a tough decision, follow your heart. Because preserving life, love, and joy are far more important than what the data say.

Smile on,
-Riley XO