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Rohan Mathankar

Business Intelligence Analyst, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited

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How can one develop a frame work of mindset which could help out in making choices easy or would make the same in less time.

Idea of choice is the basic thing everyone does in his life without any notion or concentration in his mind that he is actually making choic

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Topics: Good ideas Mind control frameworks
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  • Robert Keyburn

    • +1
    Jan 22 2012: The choice framework or template would have to start with the question, "Do I need to make a choice? OR Is the question relevant to me? (Categorization helps here. e.g. sports: yes, gambling: no)

    I propose the second step is to ask the same question of the choices available. "Which answers are relevant to me?"
    (Categorization helps here. e.g. sports: yes, squash:no)

    Categorization is something we all do to some degree to manage the amount of attention we give to information and any one "question."

    Some choices are unconscious (e.g. Chanel surfing: Cartoons: YES, not a cartoon: NO) Some similar choices may be more conscious (Channel surfing on Sunday: Sports: Green grass YES , No green grass: NOT sports).

    Lunch: Healthy, non healthy? Plate of handheld? Cost? Time needed to wait for sandwich? Which one looks like the sandwich I want to eat? What do I like? etc.

    Using this logical, branching approach is in line with how the brain works. (Relevance, preference and branching)

    But what happens when the decision NEEDS to be an emotional one? And what is the value of the emotional component? Is the choice important enough that the stakeholder (Company, significant other, tourist bureau) will invest resources to understand how to increase the value of the emotional component and then invest in the use of the emotional component(s).

    I do not think there is much opportunity to offer a faster, simple universal "chooser" framework that would save time. On the other hand it is quite possible to develop a rather complete framework when presenting a specific choice in defined environments?

    Good question Mr. Mathankar.
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    Robin Patin 10+

    • +1
    Jan 21 2012: I would ask, "why would you want to develop a frame work which could help in making choices?"

    In daily life we are faced with so many choices. Some range from not-so-important (do I want chicken or a ham sandwich for lunch) to the life-altering (should I marry this person).

    Life just isn't so linear. While some decisions are cut and dried, many decisions have so many shades of grey as to make most frameworks difficult to apply.

    I will say this - something that has helped me tremendously is to consider whatever decision I made the best decision. Once I have made a choice, I convince myself that this is the decision that I was supposed to make - as if the hand of God guided me to this outcome. I don't believe that my faith would steer me wrong, so whatever the outcome (good and bad) was simply meant to be. I will accept the outcome and all its lessons with grace and dignity.

    Many people can't accept that line of thinking because it involves God and it moves ultimate control out of our hands and into the hands of fate and the divine, but this thinking has saved me many sleepless nights.
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    Patrick McCarthy

    • +1
    Jan 21 2012: Such a great question.

    Most people make decisions and are not open in their minds to listening.

    We need an open mind to listen to the valid ideas coming through inspiration. We are all free to make valid choices, which may not seem sensible in the moment. When we decide, we kill off other options, where as when we make choices we are ideally listening to inspired thoughts, ideas from which we can make the right choice.

    Obedience comes from the Latin "obaudiance" which means to completely listen. Absurdas in Latin means completely deaf.

    So I am claiming that we have to be consciously listening for inspired ideas to be able to make valid choices.

    Decide, homicide, suicide, infanticide and such like all produce a final and unchangeable result which increases suffering and such like. So choices are always the way, not decisions.
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    Xavier Belvemont 30+

    • +2
    Jan 20 2012: I suppose the framework depends on the choice you're making. I don't believe there is any universal system that could be implemented due to the variables.

    For example, when I go to the store for food my choice is based on
    Product I need > Lowest Price > Ingredients. By eliminating the variables of Brand, claims and packaging style It makes purchasing (for example, Orange juice) a 1 second decision.
    (Eg/ All pure orange juice contains the same contents therefore pick lowest price).

    I think the only real mindset you can create is the knowledge that a products quality isn't dictated by its packaging and brand.

  • James Rigby

    • +1
    Jan 20 2012: Several studies have shown that the length of time people spend deliberating their choices has no major effect on the correctness of the choice eventually made. In fact, if people think about their choices for too long, the number of choices they have available generally decreases. Evolution has blessed us with instincts - and it's often best to follow these rather than attempt some kind of logic model.
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