Illogical Decisions
I wanted first to get this out of the way; the main purpose of this blog is mostly to provide you, the reader, with insight and information, while writing about things I enjoy writing about. I can only hope that it makes a somewhat large impact, and I would be extremely pleased if it does.
Back on topic, however, I have thought about why humans tend to make illogical or irrational decisions. Why is it, that when we know what's good for us, we don't actively try to aim for those good things? Why is it, that we tell ourselves we should do this and that, yet we rarely follow through? We love to believe we're rational creatures. We love to think our choices come from logic, that we’re making the right choices based on facts and reason. But in reality, a lot of our decisions are emotional, impulsive, or based on vague instincts we don't fully understand.
Curiosity
I’ve noticed this most in moments where I know what the correct choice is, but I just don’t make it. Whether it’s staying up way too late despite being exhausted, or eating unhealthy knowing full well I’ll regret it later, the hard part is not knowing what to do, it's doing what results in a better outcome. The consequences are clear. But I still go through with it, almost like I’m watching someone else control me, almost like I'm living on autopilot.
It’s strange how often we act against our own best interests, even when we’re fully aware of it. It's not even a new concept either, it's been known for centuries:
“The heart has its reasons of which reason knows nothing.” --Blaise Pascal
Maybe it's because logic isn't the only factor in our decision-making. There's comfort, fear, habit, pressure, hope, and sometimes just inertia. And when all those things are shouting at you, logic becomes more of a whisper.
Windup
I think part of life is realizing that knowing the right choice doesn't guarantee we'll make it. I don't know why we think this way, but I think that if we only relied on logic, we'd have a very limited view of the world. And making such decisions not always a bad thing, illogical choices just add to the chaos and unpredictability of life, which can be enjoyable at times. But other times, it just means we need to be kinder to ourselves. We're not broken because we mess up, we’re just human.
Maybe the real logic lies in accepting that.
Life Update!
There's not much going on here, but I think I'm getting my life together, albeit slowly. I feel much better these past few days, and I have gotten closure on a few personal problems, which is amazing. AP exams are coming up, however, and I have not studied at all, which really is a horrible trait of mine. I'll start it soon, but we'll just have to see how it goes.
fuck yea
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