What Influences Our Decisions?
You may have heard the story of twin brothers born to a father who struggled with drug and alcohol addiction for most of his life. Fast forward many years, and these brothers grew up to be worlds apart. One of them was physically and mentally fit, thriving in his career, and had started a family. The other, unfortunately, was a mirror image of his dad at that age, battling the same struggles. Astonishingly, when asked how they ended up so differently, both brothers had the same reply” “Because of my dad!”
Despite starting in the same place, these two brothers made completely different decisions based on their lived experiences and aspirations for the future.
Our past experiences, family, and cognitive biases all play significant roles in shaping our decisions.
The Impact of Past Experiences
Past experiences are like the bookmarks in our life’s story. They influence the choices we’ll make in the future, but not always in a negative way. For instance, making mistakes in the past often teaches us valuable lessons, helping us avoid similar mistakes down the road, and so you quickly learn not to do it again.
The Subtle impact of Cognitive Biases
Cognitive biases are factors that we don’t necessarily notice. They are like ‘mental shortcuts’ that our brains use to make decision making easier. While this can be helpful, it can often lead to errors. Take confirmation bias, for example. This bias causes us to seek out information that supports our existing beliefs and ignore anything that contradicts them. It’s like only listening to friends who agree with you while ignoring those who offer a different perspective than the one you want to hear. These biases can skew our judgement, leading us to make decisions that are not completely rational.
The Impact of Family
Family plays a crucial role in shaping our values, beliefs and decision-making patterns. From an early age, our families instil a set of beliefs that guide our choices. For example, if your family places a high value on education, you’re more likely to pursue higher learning. The support or pressure from family can impact our decisions regarding career, relationships, and lifestyle. Often, we find ourselves aligning with the paths our families expect or at least heavily considering their opinions.
What factors could play role in our choices? What could guide or hinder us?
Is it the impact of our past, the subtle influence of our cognitive biases, or the strong voice of family expectation? What do you think?
