The high stakes of decision-making

Decision-making. We hear different people describe this distinct experience in different ways – tricky, confounding, mind-scrambling, and so on. If the process of ‘decision-making’ itself is perplexing, the upshot of ‘it’ could be more petrifying at times!

Well, in some matters, decision-making seems a mere doddle, wherein we merrily decide off within minutes. But, during other times, we try dilly-dallying and dithering over diversified factors before arriving at those definitive decisions, especially which dictates and designs the future.

Incidentally, in innumerable situations, we’d have made incorrect decisions, maybe, over insignificant things. Hence, not many losses might have been there. Whereas we’d invite irrevocable damages by impulsive wrong decisions, mainly if the matters involved are of immense importance.

As instances, say, we decide on watching a winsome flick at a multiplex. Or, eagerly decide on exploring some epicurean delicacies at an exotic eatery. Now, both experiences turn out to be a damp squib. Here, the losses aren’t major. This is somewhat similar to shopping at some online stores with moneyback deals. Wherein the product procured can be promptly returned, with every penny retrieved, in case of possible dissatisfaction.

Now, let us consider decisions like taking up a professional course without any penchant for it. And later, would be having myriad misgivings. This can be compared with, say, a craving for a chic hairstyle; impulsively, we’d have chopped off clumps of our tresses only to regret it later.

In both cases, the losses aren’t still anything large. As, with time, our locks grow back, so also, maybe, our love for the course.

Finally, there are those decisions, triggering dire and dreadful ramifications with devastating impact. Like, impetuously rushing into wedlock, even when red alerts are flashing. Or, deciding to end one’s life, feeling ineffably low. These are akin to the act of tattooing on the body, which is irreversible.

Yes, when copious amounts of care and caution aren’t exercised in such crucial decisions, certainly along with us, as casualties, we come to see even our close ones suffering the cruel consequences of our careless decision-making.