Tuesday 25 October 2011

It is our choices... that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities -- J.K.Rowling

Those times when I feel uninspired and having nothing in mind to write about, I choose instead to write about anything. I recall a conversation that I had with a friend today, the details of the discussion are insignificant, but I distinctly remember that we both acknowledged that there are two sides to everything. 

This shouldn't be new to anyone.

Good and evil, black and white, love and hate, north and south, east and west and it goes on. With this, we are allowed to become even lazier by simply appending a un, a im, a ab or a in to construct i.e. unpopular, impersonal, abnormal or inflexible to suggest the opposites to their original meanings, and in no mean this is the exhaustive list. 

Is it just me or have you also noticed that those words perhaps carry a slightly negative connotation? But if we try and put them into contexts:
  • Unpopular can mean someone who is popular amongst their friends, but disliked by their relatives, or someone who is well liked by the cops, but unpopular with the drug dealers (now I wish I had picked a different word and very different examples, oh well, continue on)
  • Impersonal can imply either neutral and objective or cold and detached
  • Abnormal can be different therefore suspicious or different therefore exciting
  • Inflexible can denote rigid and stubborn or indicate structured and strong willed


We know there exist polarities and opposites. Although knowing this, we sometime feel propelled to pick a stance and choose an action. 

When we are presented with various possibilities, we become accustomed to performing little mental potential P&L assessments to help weigh up the different options so we capitalise on our returns to avoid seeing a number in redWe carefully select and determine our decisions based on what we know, how we feel and what we see as more promising, more rewarding or more feasible at that moment in time, and hopefully that will lead us to a better outcome. 

Is it better to always know more? So we will have more information to rely upon in order to produce a more comprehensive risk analysis on pros and cons? But sometime the more we know, the more indecisive and reluctant we can become as more scenarios must be contemplated. Or is it better to go with what you have? This may force us into making an immediate decision without having considered all the possibilities, but how can we be assured that it is the correct one? 

Or is there even a correct decision as such?

If we are to pick an answer from a multiple choice question, the decision tree may look like, or you can also think of this as cause and effect if you prefer (be warned about the most horrific drawings you will ever find available on the World Wide Web):

a. Different decisions will lead to different outcomes


b. Different decisions eventually will lead to the same outcome

c. Different decisions will lead to different outcomes but we cannot foresee



d. Different decisions can lead to either different outcomes or the same outcome


e. No choice can be seen or made, seems empowered by fate

f. Everything is within reach, you can have it all!

So which one are you? 

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