NPR

Why Hard Decisions Should Be Easy (But Aren't)

Hard decisions are hard for two reasons: because no single option clearly dominates the alternatives, and because we expect our choice to have significant consequences, says blogger Tania Lombrozo.
Source: iStockphoto

We make dozens of decisions on a daily basis: what to have for breakfast, which task to complete first, which article to read.

Most of these decisions are easy.

But then there are the hard decisions — the ones we agonize over, the ones that lead to sleepless nights. These decisions are hard for two reasons: because no single option clearly dominates the alternatives, and because we expect our choice to have significant consequences. It's these two elements that explain why hard decisions

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from NPR

NPR3 min read
Floods In Southern Brazil Kill At Least 75 People Over 7 Days
Massive floods in Brazil's southern Rio Grande do Sul state have killed at least 75 people over the last seven days, and another 103 were reported missing, local authorities said Sunday.
NPR2 min read
Mystik Dan Wins The Kentucky Derby By A Nose
In a close finish, Mystik Dan won the Kentucky Derby by a horse's nostril over Sierra Leone. Contenders waited with bated breath in the seconds before the official decision was made. The thoroughbred had entered the race with 18-1 odds — a longshot c
NPR2 min readWorld
Ukraine's Zelenskyy Calls God An "Ally" Against Russia In Orthodox Easter Message
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged Ukrainians in an Easter address to be united in prayer and called God an "ally" in the war with Russia.

Related Books & Audiobooks