Do you realize that the decisions you make are based on your opinions, which are based on factual and false knowledge (memories)? Do you think that your opinions could be more factual? Do you think that your decisions should be more factual and thus, more appropriate? If so, this pearl may be appropriate for you.
Intro and Definitions:
This pearl is a compilation of the “Your Knowledge, Intelligence and Wisdom”, “Why, How and What we Think”, “What’s Your Opinion?” and “Prioritized Decision-Making” pearls. If not familiar with them, the following definitions can help you to better understand this discussion.
Knowledge: A decisive, emotional or rational experience that is stored as a memory
Opinion: A memory that was created by a decision
Fact: An opinion that has an actual existence or reality
Falsehood: Contrary to fact or truth, neither genuine nor real, a lie
Accurate: An opinion that is based on fact
Inaccurate: An opinion that is based on falsehoods
Decision: The ability to define the situation and choose how to react to it
Appropriate: A decision that is factually based and suitable for the situation
Inappropriate: A decision that is fallaciously based and unsuitable for the situation
Left brain people: Strongest in the analyzer and relator styles with knowledge stored as detailed memories
Right brain people: Strongest in the director and socializer styles with knowledge stored as interactive memories
This pearl has two parts: “Making your opinions more accurate” and “Making your decisions more appropriate”.
Making your Opinions more Accurate:
Your knowledge is stored in your memories, but this knowledge is just an opinion and not necessarily a fact. An opinion can be 5% to 95% accurate—nothing is 100% fact. A minimal 5% accuracy is because every opinion must have some validity to exist. Opinions can only have a maximum accuracy of 95% because even our “facts” aren’t 100% accurate since we can’t know everything about a subject. For example, a fact of science: Newton’s formula: Distance = (Velocity X Time), is only 95% accurate since it is missing Einstein’s 5% correction for velocities near the speed of light, thus making: Distance = (Velocity X Time) / (Square-root-of: 1-V2/C2), where C is the speed of light.
We can make our opinions more accurate if we rate their validity, instead of assuming that they are accurate. And the only way to rate their validity is to compare them to contrary opinions, not similar opinions, which provide nothing new. And the best way to compare them is to “step outside of ourselves” and listen to contrary opinions, without interruption or contrary thoughts. If reading about or observing a contrary opinion on the tube/cellphone, listen to it, give it value and get what we can out of it. Listening to contrary opinions opens up our mind to possible new facts. Refer to the end of the pearl “What’s Your Opinion” to learn how to “step outside yourself” and obtain the facts that can make your opinions more accurate.
Give Every Opinion a %-Accuracy Rating:
This approach makes your opinions potentially less valid while making contrary opinions potentially more valid, which leaves you open to learn more about that opposite opinion. First, give your opinion an accuracy rating of 5% to 95%—be honest with yourself. Next, SUBTRACT 15% to 25% from that opinion’s rating; this will depend on how comfortable you are with that opinion. For example, if you gave your opinion an accuracy rating of 85%, reduce its accuracy to 70% or 60%. Next, give the contrary opinion an accuracy rating of 5% to 95%—think rationally, not emotionally. Next, ADD 15% to 25% to that rating. For example, if you think that their contrary opinion probably has a rating of 35%, increase that rating to a possible 50% to 60%. Next, “step outside of yourself” and listen without interruption and without having contrary thoughts, to appreciate its validity. Finally, thank them for the aspects of their opinion that made your opinion more accurate. The objective must never be to change their opinion, just understand its validity. If they want to hear your opinion, give it along with the aspects of their opinion that made it more accurate. When done, either of you might learn something new, especially if you really listened to each other.
Bottom line on More Accurate Opinions
To make your opinions more accurate, compare them to contrary opinions, not similar opinions, to extract out their validity and use it to make your opinion more accurate.
Making More Appropriate Decisions:
Just because we make a decision, it doesn’t mean that it was appropriate or positive. Decisions based on emotional memories have a high probability of being inappropriate and/or negative—anger or fear based decisions are typically negative. Right brain directors and socializers make quick decisions based on opinions that are less accurate, missing important facts. Conversely, left brain analyzers and relators delay making decisions until they feel that their opinions are accurate. By definition, a decision that leads to a positive outcome is probably more appropriate than a decision that leads to a negative outcome. Thus, it is helpful to rate the appropriateness of an opinion and decision and change it if it is inappropriate.
Rating the appropriateness of a decision is similar to rating the validity of an opinion, since decisions are based on opinions. Our decisions will be the most appropriate when our opinions are the most accurate. When making an important decision: first give it an appropriateness rating from 5% to 95%, possibly based on past decisions on that subject. If your appropriateness rating is over 80%, go with that decision. If your appropriateness rating is less than 60%, consider modifying your opinions on that subject, thus modifying your decision. Also consider related memories on that subject to possibly make a different decision.
Know what affects your decisions:
Your decisions are based on the memories and attributes of the style that you use to make the decision. If the decision is task-related, you should make it with your analyzer or director style’s attributes, memories and emotion. If the decision is people-related, you should make it with your relator or socializer style’s attributes, memories and emotion. When you are distressed, your decision will be based on your strongest style’s attributes, memories and emotion.
If your decision affects others, it must be rational, not emotional. If you know or if others tell you that you are being emotional, you need to get control of that emotion to be rational—to do so, considering the following:
Your task-related analyzer style will inject fear into your decisions, making them more negative.
Your task-related director style will inject anger into your decisions, making them more negative and self-serving.
Your people-related relator style will inject sorrow into your decisions.
Your people-related socializer style will inject joy into your decisions, making them more positive.
Your strongest style/emotion will inject the most emotion into your decisions.
Once aware of your emotional state, ask yourself: “Why am I having this particular emotion?” This should quell the emotion and allow you to make a less emotional, more rational decision.
Bottom line on Accurate, Appropriate Decision-making:
To make your opinions more accurate, compare them to contrary opinions and extract out their validity to make your opinion more accurate.
To make your decisions more appropriate, consider the validity of those opinions before making a decision.
Don’t let your strongest style/emotion dictate your decisions.
Whenever possible, view the situation in a positive manor—have positive thoughts.
Consider the style you are making the decision with; it will indicate your frame of mind when making that decision, which may need to be modified along with the decision.
I hope that this pearl can help you to make more appropriate, positive rational decisions instead of just making emotional, spare of the moment, negative decisions.