Psychology
In all of our lives, we are faced with difficult situations that require us to make choices. Some of these decisions are life altering, others not so much. Sometimes the simplest choices make all the difference. Here’s an example. Picture you are in 12th grade and have persistently worked hard all through high school to maintain a solid GPA. You come from a family that isn’t ver wealthy, but has enough money to send you to a decent college. Your dream school is Harvard, even though you know that the tuition is a fortune. You have got back acceptance letters from some decent schools you applied to, but everyday anxiously check the mailbox for the big envelope with the name “Harvard” on it. The day has finally come, all of your hard work has paid off. Harvard has accepted you! Now here is where the decision comes into play; do you go to Harvard and make your parents pay the barely affordable tuition, or do you settle on a mediocre school that is more affordable? So many students are faced with this decision every year. Your choice is extremely important, though, because it alters your life and your family’s lives too. You have hit the merging of two paths; whichever one you chose to follow will take you in a different direction than the other. Your choice influences yourself and the people
Decision Making
• Objectives must first be established• Objectives must be classified and placed in order of importance• Alternative actions must be developed• The alternative must be evaluated against all the objectives• The alternative that is able to achieve all the objectives is the tentative decision• The tentative decision is evaluated for more possible consequences• The decisive actions are taken, and additionaffl actions are taken to prevent any adverse consequences from becoming problems and starting both systems (problem analysis and decision making) all over again
(source: wikipedia)
When faced with a difficult situation or issue, we tend to weigh out the consequences and make lists in our mind. We mentally list out the pros and cons, whether intentionally or not, and we prioritize.
Optimizing vs. satisfying
Herbert Simon coined the phrase "bounded rationality" to express the idea that human decision-making is limited by available information, available time, and the information-processing ability of the mind. Simon also defined two cognitive styles: maximizers try to make an optimal decision, whereas satisficers simply try to find a solution that is "good enough". Maximizers tend to take longer making decisions due to the need to maximize performance across all variables and make tradeoffs carefully; they also tend to more often regret their decisions.
Decisions are our directions down the maze of life. Everyones brain works differently, therefore everyone takes their own path in life.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decision_making
Optimism and Pessimism: "Look on the Bright Side"
Life has its ups and downs. In order to be successful, remaining optimistic is crucial. Looking on the positive side of things brings out your best qualities and makes the best out of situations. Pessimistic people do not get far in life because they don’t take risks and get over hardships. German Philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche said, “What does not kill me, makes me stronger.” He is an example of an optimistic person building off of loss and pain to make himself a better person. A pessimist person would let the situation bring them down. Look at the glass half full, as opposed to half empty. Larry Dossey, a doctor as well as an early champion of mind-body medicine, explains "Optimists have more stable cardiovascular systems, more responsive immune systems, and less of a hormonal response to stress compared to pessimists. They have a stronger sense of self-efficacy, so they're more likely to invoke healthier behaviors because they think it can make a difference."
In all of our lives, we are faced with difficult situations that require us to make choices. Some of these decisions are life altering, others not so much. Sometimes the simplest choices make all the difference. Here’s an example. Picture you are in 12th grade and have persistently worked hard all through high school to maintain a solid GPA. You come from a family that isn’t ver wealthy, but has enough money to send you to a decent college. Your dream school is Harvard, even though you know that the tuition is a fortune. You have got back acceptance letters from some decent schools you applied to, but everyday anxiously check the mailbox for the big envelope with the name “Harvard” on it. The day has finally come, all of your hard work has paid off. Harvard has accepted you! Now here is where the decision comes into play; do you go to Harvard and make your parents pay the barely affordable tuition, or do you settle on a mediocre school that is more affordable? So many students are faced with this decision every year. Your choice is extremely important, though, because it alters your life and your family’s lives too. You have hit the merging of two paths; whichever one you chose to follow will take you in a different direction than the other. Your choice influences yourself and the people
Decision Making
• Objectives must first be established• Objectives must be classified and placed in order of importance• Alternative actions must be developed• The alternative must be evaluated against all the objectives• The alternative that is able to achieve all the objectives is the tentative decision• The tentative decision is evaluated for more possible consequences• The decisive actions are taken, and additionaffl actions are taken to prevent any adverse consequences from becoming problems and starting both systems (problem analysis and decision making) all over again
(source: wikipedia)
When faced with a difficult situation or issue, we tend to weigh out the consequences and make lists in our mind. We mentally list out the pros and cons, whether intentionally or not, and we prioritize.
Optimizing vs. satisfying
Herbert Simon coined the phrase "bounded rationality" to express the idea that human decision-making is limited by available information, available time, and the information-processing ability of the mind. Simon also defined two cognitive styles: maximizers try to make an optimal decision, whereas satisficers simply try to find a solution that is "good enough". Maximizers tend to take longer making decisions due to the need to maximize performance across all variables and make tradeoffs carefully; they also tend to more often regret their decisions.
Decisions are our directions down the maze of life. Everyones brain works differently, therefore everyone takes their own path in life.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decision_making
Optimism and Pessimism: "Look on the Bright Side"
Life has its ups and downs. In order to be successful, remaining optimistic is crucial. Looking on the positive side of things brings out your best qualities and makes the best out of situations. Pessimistic people do not get far in life because they don’t take risks and get over hardships. German Philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche said, “What does not kill me, makes me stronger.” He is an example of an optimistic person building off of loss and pain to make himself a better person. A pessimist person would let the situation bring them down. Look at the glass half full, as opposed to half empty. Larry Dossey, a doctor as well as an early champion of mind-body medicine, explains "Optimists have more stable cardiovascular systems, more responsive immune systems, and less of a hormonal response to stress compared to pessimists. They have a stronger sense of self-efficacy, so they're more likely to invoke healthier behaviors because they think it can make a difference."
