Making decisions

How we make decisions is very much a key part of our character. There are two aspects of decision-making, first the ability to tackle the question, and secondly to come up with an answer that is appropriate. People who become leaders are assertive and will try to do something. They aren't always the best decision makers though. A person who thinks a problem through might hesitate to take a decision because it might be the wrong one. There are also people who simply avoid making decisions at all, and can't face up to obvious problems.

In most cases our decision making falls into two areas:

Strategic: Which broadly means thinking of the options available and planning for the best one.

Tactical: Which means dealing with the situation as it comes up.

There are also people who act impulsively without much thought about the consequences, and others who are simply unable to make decisions at all, and leave it to someone else, or suffer the consequences.

Again, there are people who anticipate problems and prepare for them. The problems might never arise, but the preparations are in place. Sherlock Holmes made studies of many subjects in the belief that one day the knowledge may be useful in crime solving. James Bond always carried a variety of innovative weapons with him in case the occasion arose where he would need it.

We have to make important decisions when we choose our career, buy a house, fall in love, have children, choose our friends, and the like. They are decisions that can affect our lives dramatically.

Sometimes our lives are dependent on other people's decisions. A man may love a girl but not he may no be prepared to get married. The girl may decide to marry another man who she does not love as much, but who is prepared to marry her. This decision will affect her whole life.

We may fail an exam. The choice might be to study for another year to pass it, or forget it, and take a lesser job. The decision might be right or wrong. Only time will tell whether passing the exam was really important.

Sometimes a decision by one person will affect a number of people who have no connection with that person. An impulsive youth decides to steal a car and kills someone in an accident. His family and friends are deeply affected, as are the family and friends of the person killed. It will also affect many people who have no connection with the thief or the victim.

		List the people affected if the victim is: A teacher A Doctor A Drug dealer A foreign holidaymaker A Celebrity A baby

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