In this episode, Robert and Jad explore choice angst and decision making with guest speakers to give them a more scientific point of view based on studies. One of their guests was Jonah who introduced us to George Miller's study "The Magical Number Seven, Plus or Minus Two," which explains how the average brain can hold 7 digits plus or minus two and is anatomically organized into a dual system: a rational deliberative system and an emotional system. Any more than that and our good judgment can be overwhelmed. These two systems are at war with one another, competing for our attention. But as the study proves, emotion wins.
It's scary to think that choice might just be an illusion. Perhaps we are not so in control as we would like to be. Later, they introduce Malcolm Gladwell who talks to Robert about the common sense of dissatisfaction felt by people required to justify a choice to others before they made it, and he brings up the idea of priming--that certain stimuli could incline us toward certain choices or behaviors. Then a Yale psychology professor taught Robert and Jad about an experiment where researcher Lawrence Williams was able to alter people's opinions without their knowledge using nothing but a simple cup of coffee.
Overall, this episode was about the value of simplifying one’s options, every imaginable lifestyle available, and how people can’t face a world where everything is available. I really liked this episode cause I am such an indecisive person and it gave me comfort knowing that sometimes being indecisive works to my advantage because I am not making life decisions out of impulse.
2 comments:
cool topic. to think that your choices could be illusions totally changes the way i'm going to think about my decisions.
i think it's kind of scary because it seems like making logic decisions is just an illusion and that our decisions will always be over powered by our emotions.
Post a Comment