Why Make Good Decisions? | Annika Wallin | TEDxNorrköping

so have you made any good decisions

so have you made any good decisions lately it’s not so easy to know is it if

lately it’s not so easy to know is it if

lately it’s not so easy to know is it if you did a good decision how do you know

you did a good decision how do you know

you did a good decision how do you know that it was a good one did it feel right

that it was a good one did it feel right

that it was a good one did it feel right can you give us excellent reasons for

can you give us excellent reasons for

can you give us excellent reasons for the decision are you happy about the

the decision are you happy about the

the decision are you happy about the outcome whether and how we can know that

outcome whether and how we can know that

outcome whether and how we can know that a decision is a good one is what I want

a decision is a good one is what I want

a decision is a good one is what I want to talk about today but in order to do

to talk about today but in order to do

to talk about today but in order to do so I think we have to start with an

so I think we have to start with an

so I think we have to start with an example with a decision to start the

example with a decision to start the

example with a decision to start the discussion with and I’m going to take

discussion with and I’m going to take

discussion with and I’m going to take the opportunity to use one of my

the opportunity to use one of my

the opportunity to use one of my favorite decisions it’s courtesy of the

favorite decisions it’s courtesy of the

favorite decisions it’s courtesy of the Cambridge University Library who has

Cambridge University Library who has

Cambridge University Library who has kindly enough for digitalized and made

kindly enough for digitalized and made

kindly enough for digitalized and made pictures of almost every note that

pictures of almost every note that

pictures of almost every note that Charles Darwin ever scribbled down and

Charles Darwin ever scribbled down and

Charles Darwin ever scribbled down and here’s one particularly nice note it’s

here’s one particularly nice note it’s

here’s one particularly nice note it’s written in 1838 just a few weeks before

written in 1838 just a few weeks before

written in 1838 just a few weeks before he proposed to his cousin and the two

he proposed to his cousin and the two

he proposed to his cousin and the two head is here it’s a bit hard to read but

head is here it’s a bit hard to read but

head is here it’s a bit hard to read but on the left you see the question and

on the left you see the question and

on the left you see the question and arguments for marriage and on the right

arguments for marriage and on the right

arguments for marriage and on the right you instead see arguments against

you instead see arguments against

you instead see arguments against marriage now it’s a bit hard to read and

marriage now it’s a bit hard to read and

marriage now it’s a bit hard to read and I won’t read it all out you but among

I won’t read it all out you but among

I won’t read it all out you but among the arguments for marriage we find

the arguments for marriage we find

the arguments for marriage we find things such as companion and friend in

things such as companion and friend in

things such as companion and friend in old age who will feel interested in one

old age who will feel interested in one

old age who will feel interested in one object to be beloved and played with

object to be beloved and played with

object to be beloved and played with better than a dog anyhow on the side

better than a dog anyhow on the side

better than a dog anyhow on the side with arguments against marriage we

with arguments against marriage we

with arguments against marriage we instead find things such as freedom to

instead find things such as freedom to

instead find things such as freedom to go where one liked choice of society and

go where one liked choice of society and

go where one liked choice of society and little of it conversation of clever men

little of it conversation of clever men

little of it conversation of clever men at clubs not forced to visit relatives

at clubs not forced to visit relatives

at clubs not forced to visit relatives and to bend in every trifle now as you

and to bend in every trifle now as you

and to bend in every trifle now as you may see at the end of this note his

may see at the end of this note his

may see at the end of this note his conclusion was to marry says merry merry

conclusion was to marry says merry merry

conclusion was to marry says merry merry merry QD and I actually particularly

merry QD and I actually particularly

merry QD and I actually particularly liked his last reason for reaching this

liked his last reason for reaching this

liked his last reason for reaching this conclusion where he says my god it’s

conclusion where he says my god it’s

conclusion where he says my god it’s intolerable to think of spending ones

intolerable to think of spending ones

intolerable to think of spending ones whole life like a nutria be working

whole life like a nutria be working

whole life like a nutria be working working working and nothing after all no

working working and nothing after all no

working working and nothing after all no no won’t do so he got married and the

no won’t do so he got married and the

no won’t do so he got married and the few autobiographies I’ve read about

few autobiographies I’ve read about

few autobiographies I’ve read about Darwin indicate that the marriage was

Darwin indicate that the marriage was

Darwin indicate that the marriage was happy I guess

happy I guess

happy I guess we can’t ask him any more does that mean

we can’t ask him any more does that mean

we can’t ask him any more does that mean that this was a good decision it’s kind

that this was a good decision it’s kind

that this was a good decision it’s kind of hard to say isn’t it in order to

of hard to say isn’t it in order to

of hard to say isn’t it in order to truly evaluate this decision it seems as

truly evaluate this decision it seems as

truly evaluate this decision it seems as if we would have to know what would have

if we would have to know what would have

if we would have to know what would have happened if he had not married his

happened if he had not married his

happened if he had not married his cousin what if he had married someone

cousin what if he had married someone

cousin what if he had married someone else what if he had refrained from

else what if he had refrained from

else what if he had refrained from marriage and written five other books

marriage and written five other books

marriage and written five other books that revolutionized natural science what

that revolutionized natural science what

that revolutionized natural science what if he all of a sudden changed a career

if he all of a sudden changed a career

if he all of a sudden changed a career and became something that we never heard

and became something that we never heard

and became something that we never heard of we don’t know what would have

of we don’t know what would have

of we don’t know what would have happened had he not married in the

happened had he not married in the

happened had he not married in the Wedgwood so how do we know that the

Wedgwood so how do we know that the

Wedgwood so how do we know that the decision he made was a good one I’m not

decision he made was a good one I’m not

decision he made was a good one I’m not really sure it’s so easy to answer that

really sure it’s so easy to answer that

really sure it’s so easy to answer that question and that’s what I want to talk

question and that’s what I want to talk

question and that’s what I want to talk to you about today regardless of this

to you about today regardless of this

to you about today regardless of this difficulty yeah there is a large amount

difficulty yeah there is a large amount

difficulty yeah there is a large amount of books and papers and Internet classes

of books and papers and Internet classes

of books and papers and Internet classes and help yourself tapes and you name it

and help yourself tapes and you name it

and help yourself tapes and you name it telling us what good decisions are and

telling us what good decisions are and

telling us what good decisions are and how to make them parts of this research

how to make them parts of this research

how to make them parts of this research is excellent I’m not saying that there’s

is excellent I’m not saying that there’s

is excellent I’m not saying that there’s anything wrong with this but an

anything wrong with this but an

anything wrong with this but an interesting question to ask is of course

interesting question to ask is of course

interesting question to ask is of course how do they know what a good decision is

how do they know what a good decision is

how do they know what a good decision is how can they evaluate what good

how can they evaluate what good

how can they evaluate what good decision-making is and here there seems

decision-making is and here there seems

decision-making is and here there seems to be two different types of answers to

to be two different types of answers to

to be two different types of answers to this question one answer comes from what

this question one answer comes from what

this question one answer comes from what I will call the prohibitory camp for

I will call the prohibitory camp for

I will call the prohibitory camp for people that are very cautious and they

people that are very cautious and they

people that are very cautious and they will tell us that good decisions are

will tell us that good decisions are

will tell us that good decisions are decisions that help us avoid specific

decisions that help us avoid specific

decisions that help us avoid specific pitfalls that are particularly bad for

pitfalls that are particularly bad for

pitfalls that are particularly bad for us the other group of people i will say

us the other group of people i will say

us the other group of people i will say will become to this we are part of the

will become to this we are part of the

will become to this we are part of the success oriented a view towards decision

success oriented a view towards decision

success oriented a view towards decision making and they say something like well

making and they say something like well

making and they say something like well you know use the type of decision style

you know use the type of decision style

you know use the type of decision style that general will give get you what you

that general will give get you what you

that general will give get you what you want so these are two quite different

want so these are two quite different

want so these are two quite different approaches to how good decisions should

approaches to how good decisions should

approaches to how good decisions should be made now when it comes to the

be made now when it comes to the

be made now when it comes to the precautionary or prohibitory camp the

precautionary or prohibitory camp the

precautionary or prohibitory camp the people who tell us that good

people who tell us that good

people who tell us that good decision-making is basically about

decision-making is basically about

decision-making is basically about trying to avoid certain very severe

trying to avoid certain very severe

trying to avoid certain very severe pitfalls we get a very structured and

pitfalls we get a very structured and

pitfalls we get a very structured and very well worked through idea of how you

very well worked through idea of how you

very well worked through idea of how you should proceed in your

should proceed in your

should proceed in your making in order to avoid certain really

making in order to avoid certain really

making in order to avoid certain really dangerous thinks so what are these

dangerous thinks so what are these

dangerous thinks so what are these things that we should be so scared of

things that we should be so scared of

things that we should be so scared of the most famous one is something that is

the most famous one is something that is

the most famous one is something that is usually called a money pump but I will

usually called a money pump but I will

usually called a money pump but I will translate that to a porcelain pump in my

translate that to a porcelain pump in my

translate that to a porcelain pump in my example since we are after all in the

example since we are after all in the

example since we are after all in the business of hole-making in this talk it

business of hole-making in this talk it

business of hole-making in this talk it seems so