How coin tosses can lead to better decisions
www.bbc.com
Our modern lives can often leave us overwhelmed with choice – so might it make sense to let an external agent help us to make difficult decisions?

Summary

  • The article discusses the concept of information overload and how it can lead to analysis paralysis.

  • The author argues that randomness can be a helpful tool for overcoming choice overload.

  • The author cites a study that found that people who were given a random decision prompt were more likely to be satisfied with their decision than those who were not given a prompt.

  • The author concludes by saying that while randomness is not a perfect solution, it can be a helpful tool for making decisions when we are feeling overwhelmed by choice.

Key Points

  • Choice overload occurs when we are presented with too many options, which can make it difficult to choose one.

  • This can lead to analysis paralysis, which is the inability to make a decision because we are too busy considering all of the options.

  • Randomness can help us to overcome choice overload by forcing us to make a decision without overthinking it.

  • This can be done by flipping a coin, rolling a die, or using another randomizing device.

  • While randomness is not a perfect solution, it can be a helpful tool for making decisions when we are feeling overwhelmed by choice.

  • @thegiddystitcher@lemm.eeEnglish
    7•1 year ago

    I’m active in various crafting communities (in the wider sense as well as the Lemmy sense) and one thing I see all the time is people stressing because they have “too many” projects and don’t know which one to work on next. One of the biggest tips I always give them is to just choose randomly, whether it’s a decision wheel app on their phone, or keeping all projects in identical bags and just picking one at random from the pile!

    It’s so easy to get genuinely stressed over choices, even if they’re ultimately inconsequential like “which cross stitch project should I pick up tonight?”. And of course, when you’ve got choices in all kinds of these inconsequential things every day the small amounts of stress from each one really add up. Anything you can take off your brain’s plate, as it were, is going to help reduce those stress levels albeit maybe in a tiny way.

    TL;DR Yes this is absolutely a thing and an excellent tactic for anyone faced with a “decision” that is of little consequence.

  • @thecitywelivein@lemm.eeEnglish
    4•1 year ago

    Tip: You can say “Hey Google, flip a coin” and it’ll animate it for you. We do this often when deciding on what to eat.

    • @KindymycinEnglish
      2•1 year ago

      For nonbinary decisions, You can also tell it to roll a die of any size, like a d10, d20, or a fair dice that doesn’t mean exist like a D7. You can also just have it pick a number between X and Y, but thats not as fun haha.