Decision-Making Catalysts

Hi,

This week’s email is about a quick way to help you choose when you’re stuck.

Here are the key practical points you should know (mainly from this research article):

• If you struggle to pick between two or more available options, you can use a decision-making aid that produces a random outcome, like flipping a coin.

• Sometimes, this kind of aid serves as a decider that essentially “chooses” for you, especially if you bind yourself to its outcome in advance.

• Other times, this aid serves as a catalyst instead, by making the available options feel more vivid and real, which can help you choose between them, for instance by helping you realize that you actually dislike one of them.

• Essentially, when you use a decision-making catalyst, what matters most isn’t the catalyst’s outcome, but rather the act of using the catalyst.

• Another way to think about decision catalysts: If, when you flip a coin, you find yourself hoping it lands on a certain side, then that’s the option you should choose, no matter what side the coin actually lands on.

If you want to learn more about this topic, see my article on how to make decisions.

As always, I’m happy to hear your thoughts.

Have a great week,
Itamar