Common sense is uncommon and it tends to be forgotten in the heat of decision making process. Sometimes, though we have abundance of common sense, we ignore it when it stands in the way of doing some thing we dearly want to do.
We usually cast aside very simple and honest teaching we learned in our child hood when we are required to make a decision. While making decision, we must follow the following rules namely,
- Do not be hasty. Snap judgments are unlikely to yield good results because their maker has not been allowed to think things out completely. There is always certain amount of time permitted to come to decision. Take as much as of it (time) and cover all the bases, in a particular occasion .We must also take second thoughts.
- Do not take impulsive decisions. In hasty decision we have insufficient deliberation of the situation and in the case of impulsive decision, we have no deliberation at all. Recklessness in decision is glorified in fiction and in movies and it is a romantic way to act, it is so daring and dashing. But in reality, it is likely the most foolish way to act
- Do not trust luck. If you leap into a well, providence is not bound to fetch you out, said religious philosopher Thomas fuller. Decision making done on speculation expecting that some thing will turn up in your case, is just plain silly to rely on it.
- Control your feelings. Most of the regrettable decisions are made under the spell of the powerful emotions such as anger, hatred ,love , despair, and lust for revenge etc. In such circumstances, impulse masquerades as thought. Compelling feelings are to be recognized and should be removed from mind when decision is being arrived. They will destroy, the acceptability and keeps prudent reasoning at distance.
COUNSEL
The best way to escape from the snares of emotion while striving for an objective decision is to go for a counsel. Ask opinion of friends, elders and other persons who are well versed with said topic, which is the burning question with you. When your mind is divided as to course of action, it is wise to take counsel from those we respect. We know that two heads are better than one. Usually we leave some key considerations out of the equation, which other person can identify, at a glance.
OTHERS TAKEN AS GRANTED
Never second guess others. Other people have their own opinions, they can not go with our unspoken plans. Never anticipate as how another person acts, unless you have his word for it. Again we have to watch, they are usually at liberty to change their mind at any time.
YES AND NO – KHOW TO SAY IT
Yes and No, are the shortest words in the world, yet they need more thought than anything, before they are uttered. There is a natural urge, on other people plans, to say yes so that not to hurt them. But No is always the preferable answer, Saying no enables you to revise your decision, but if you say yes, it is difficult to come out. A no is more easily changed than a yes. Anything is so easy to get into than to get out many crucial decisions in life are made, under pressure, by a person or persons. The iron rule of decision making is to decide what you want to do, not others want to do. We should all cultivate a degree of self resistance. We must always keep a watch on self serving persuasions, hidden agendas and outright lies people place in front of us, and ask for our participation.
SOCIAL PRESSURES
Some times we face not individual pressures but social pressures, to do certain things. It is solid principle never make a decision, because others / every body is doing.
Trends of the world may not be fit in your individual case many times, and do not jump because every body else is jumping. The false prospect of certainty is what encourages people to put in their efforts into trial. The sure feeling of what will happen next is most dangerous feeling, we ever entertain in life.
The common theme that runs through this cautionary note is the avoidance of wishful thinking. Persistently over optimistic fore casts, defied reality in many cases. It is important to know how to unmake a decision, as how to make a decision. To back away from your original position is the challenging decision of all
PRIDE
Pride the demon in most cases, which prevents people doing obviously, sensible things by admitting their failures. Many times, people will stick to their wrong course of action, only to save their face, in spite of the set backs they SUFFER in name of pride and vanity
CONSENSUS
There are another set of decisions we make in this life which are made by us, in normal course, they are consensus decisions. Decisions we arrive collectively with others. When proposal clearly demonstrates the potential of back firing it is time to speak out, at the risk of going against the popular wisdom or offending a colleague. Soon people will notice the worthiness of it.
Our capacity to make self deceptive decisions should not be underestimated. It is to self deceive without perceiving. It is easy to deceive others, without them perceiving it. The seeds of self deception lie deep in our individual personalities. We are susceptible to thinking with our own prejudices, hang-ups and hopes rather than our brains. It is not only a matter of psychology, but a product of faulty logic.
One must be beware of fallacious propositions which deceive us believing into, what merely appears to be true is actually true. In this connection, one example is generalizations. We usually brand certain racial people, saying that they are all alike. It is a prelude so dangerous, in employing a worker. There is no production line for decisions. Each refers to a case itself, replete with special conditions. There fore each decision should be tailor made.
After reading all this one may be afraid to make a decision, and will be vacillating Whether or not to make decision. Avoidance of decisions is more perilous than making a decision even with some faults. To refuse to do any thing even at the risk of falling could be the worst decision you will ever make.
Today society has no ethical norms, and we are prone to make decisions, though there is dishonesty in it. We look for our safety first before we arrive to a decision. In a road accident, even when we were nearby, we do not actively involve our self in going to the rescue of the injured, fearing some legal complications. In fact, it is our duty, to attend him. Here dishonesty in our decision making is stronger, than our moral considerations. We always look around for a easy way out.
Finally, the acid test of decision making is whether you can live with it in the long run? If you can face, yourself in mirror that you are right in making that decision, than you have done it correct.
Common sense is uncommon and it tends to be forgotten in the heat of decision making process. Sometimes, though we have abundance of common sense, we ignore it when it stands in the way of doing some thing we dearly want to do.
We usually cast aside very simple and honest teaching we learned in our child hood when we are required to make a decision. While making decision, we must follow the following rules namely,
- Do not be hasty. Snap judgments are unlikely to yield good results because their maker has not been allowed to think things out completely. There is always certain amount of time permitted to come to decision. Take as much as of it (time) and cover all the bases, in a particular occasion .We must also take second thoughts.
- Do not take impulsive decisions. In hasty decision we have insufficient deliberation of the situation and in the case of impulsive decision, we have no deliberation at all. Recklessness in decision is glorified in fiction and in movies and it is a romantic way to act, it is so daring and dashing. But in reality, it is likely the most foolish way to act
- Do not trust luck. If you leap into a well, providence is not bound to fetch you out, said religious philosopher Thomas fuller. Decision making done on speculation expecting that some thing will turn up in your case, is just plain silly to rely on it.
- Control your feelings. Most of the regrettable decisions are made under the spell of the powerful emotions such as anger, hatred ,love , despair, and lust for revenge etc. In such circumstances, impulse masquerades as thought. Compelling feelings are to be recognized and should be removed from mind when decision is being arrived. They will destroy, the acceptability and keeps prudent reasoning at distance.
COUNSEL
The best way to escape from the snares of emotion while striving for an objective decision is to go for a counsel. Ask opinion of friends, elders and other persons who are well versed with said topic, which is the burning question with you. When your mind is divided as to course of action, it is wise to take counsel from those we respect. We know that two heads are better than one. Usually we leave some key considerations out of the equation, which other person can identify, at a glance.
OTHERS TAKEN AS GRANTED
Never second guess others. Other people have their own opinions, they can not go with our unspoken plans. Never anticipate as how another person acts, unless you have his word for it. Again we have to watch, they are usually at liberty to change their mind at any time.
YES AND NO – KHOW TO SAY IT
Yes and No, are the shortest words in the world, yet they need more thought than anything, before they are uttered. There is a natural urge, on other people plans, to say yes so that not to hurt them. But No is always the preferable answer, Saying no enables you to revise your decision, but if you say yes, it is difficult to come out. A no is more easily changed than a yes. Anything is so easy to get into than to get out many crucial decisions in life are made, under pressure, by a person or persons. The iron rule of decision making is to decide what you want to do, not others want to do. We should all cultivate a degree of self resistance. We must always keep a watch on self serving persuasions, hidden agendas and outright lies people place in front of us, and ask for our participation.
SOCIAL PRESSURES
Some times we face not individual pressures but social pressures, to do certain things. It is solid principle never make a decision, because others / every body is doing.
Trends of the world may not be fit in your individual case many times, and do not jump because every body else is jumping. The false prospect of certainty is what encourages people to put in their efforts into trial. The sure feeling of what will happen next is most dangerous feeling, we ever entertain in life.
The common theme that runs through this cautionary note is the avoidance of wishful thinking. Persistently over optimistic fore casts, defied reality in many cases. It is important to know how to unmake a decision, as how to make a decision. To back away from your original position is the challenging decision of all
PRIDE
Pride the demon in most cases, which prevents people doing obviously, sensible things by admitting their failures. Many times, people will stick to their wrong course of action, only to save their face, in spite of the set backs they SUFFER in name of pride and vanity
CONSENSUS
There are another set of decisions we make in this life which are made by us, in normal course, they are consensus decisions. Decisions we arrive collectively with others. When proposal clearly demonstrates the potential of back firing it is time to speak out, at the risk of going against the popular wisdom or offending a colleague. Soon people will notice the worthiness of it.
Our capacity to make self deceptive decisions should not be underestimated. It is to self deceive without perceiving. It is easy to deceive others, without them perceiving it. The seeds of self deception lie deep in our individual personalities. We are susceptible to thinking with our own prejudices, hang-ups and hopes rather than our brains. It is not only a matter of psychology, but a product of faulty logic.
One must be beware of fallacious propositions which deceive us believing into, what merely appears to be true is actually true. In this connection, one example is generalizations. We usually brand certain racial people, saying that they are all alike. It is a prelude so dangerous, in employing a worker. There is no production line for decisions. Each refers to a case itself, replete with special conditions. There fore each decision should be tailor made.
After reading all this one may be afraid to make a decision, and will be vacillating Whether or not to make decision. Avoidance of decisions is more perilous than making a decision even with some faults. To refuse to do any thing even at the risk of falling could be the worst decision you will ever make.
Today society has no ethical norms, and we are prone to make decisions, though there is dishonesty in it. We look for our safety first before we arrive to a decision. In a road accident, even when we were nearby, we do not actively involve our self in going to the rescue of the injured, fearing some legal complications. In fact, it is our duty, to attend him. Here dishonesty in our decision making is stronger, than our moral considerations. We always look around for a easy way out.
Finally, the acid test of decision making is whether you can live with it in the long run? If you can face, yourself in mirror that you are right in making that decision, than you have done it correct.