Should Our Decisions Rely On Logic Or Perception?
What Affects Our Decisions?
Every day, we make hundreds of decisions determining what future we will live in — something that affects us the most. But what affects how the decisions are made? There are two: perception and logic.
Making Decision With Perception
Many people will deny it, but perception is by far the most imperative factor affecting most people’s decision-making. We all know that facts are important, but we are often controlled by what we perceive and how we feel.
That is why advertisement works — even though the quality and price of clothes in a store are more attractive, we may still prefer another store that is more spacious, more colorful, and quieter. Does the design of the store have anything to do with the clothes we want to buy? The answer is apparent.
But despite that, we still prefer the comfortable store because it makes us feel better, even though what matters the most should be the products. Most of us will take product quality and price over shopping experience if asked, but our actions often deviate from logic and align with perception and the emotion it induces.
Some people insist that making decisions based on perception makes us happier, we will assess that later.
Making Decision With Logic
Making decisions with logic means that we support our decisions with clear rationales. In general, we ratiocinate when making major decisions, like buying a new house (yes, we are too lazy to use rationales in daily situations).
When it comes to which house to buy, we become a lot more meticulous, for more than when buying new clothes. We do that because, unlike the clothes, the house bought can bring significant impacts on your life (unless you are super rich), we don’t want to mess that up. Location, area, price, neighborhood, security; we don’t want any of it to be problematic.
We can tell and explain the reasons behind a decision if it is backed by logic. For example, a larger house is preferable, but not always necessary. That may be the reason you choose a smaller, cheaper house — despite the desire to live in a large one.
Rationales are carefully analyzed before the final decision is made. This is making decisions with logic.
(More logical thinking is introduced here)
Perception Vs Logic
It is tempting to make decisions based on the emotions induced by perception: love, fear, anger, complacency, animosity — any of these emotions is powerful enough to eradicate one’s rationale while deceiving him to believe that he has good reasons. It is as if emotions are some kind of inescapable force.
Does making decisions based on perceptions make you suffer? Undeniably, following our emotions is a lot easier, and a lot more satisfying. The internal struggle mollifies and a sense of faith arises from within. Everything good, everyone happy, until the consequence comes.
You love the clothes you buy until you see how much you’re spending.
People stay up all night until they become paralyzed the next day.
People boast until realizing how insignificant their achievement is.
People overlook their partner’s personality until being married for a month.
A murderer cannot contain his joy until he gets caught.
The happiness and satisfaction don’t last long when you make the wrong decision, the regret decimates them in a flash.
The point of logical thinking is to help people believe in things with good reasons, and thus make better decisions. We cannot assume a decision to be good if it is not X-rayed under logic. Though logic does not promise perfection, it is the best thing you can do.
Note that perception is not necessarily irrational: when perception makes sense, it survives when scrutinized; when perception doesn’t make sense, why would you not dispose of it? We don’t have to disdain perception, we just have to embrace logic.
We laugh when we hear the illogical idea of spending money on anything desirable, yet we may be a typical example of it. Perception can be dangerous, and when it lures you, think about how atrocious the consequence may be.
Don’t be the fish on the hook.
