Appropriate that it was Darwin who imagined that some such tableau could make deeply human decisions. His cousin, Francis Dalton, took it a step farther and decided that one could use similar methods to evaluate other people’s worth—and thus was eugenics born. Galton, Karl Pearson, Ronald Fisher, and others developed what we know of as mathematical statistics to buttress their ghastly enterprise. (I wrote about it here: https://graboyes.substack.com/p/the-briar-and-the-rose.)
I actually did my Master's work in decision theory back in the early 1980's when behaviorism, cognitive psych and economics were clashing on theories of human motivation and behavior (I was in a behavioral Master's program, concurrently doing PhD work in a different cognitive program which was just getting traction, and was dabbling at an MBA.) It is really interesting how far removed from the concepts of economic rationality, cognition and behaviorism of 40 years ago this is. I've followed "pop psych" on decision making over the decades (everything from Psychology Today to women's magazine articles on how to make good decisions) and have watched a subtle shift from the "Darwinian method" to "gut check method". The fact it "makes perfect sense" is indicative of how our culture has shifted our perceptions of how our own minds work.
I love these insights. I think in that past I’ve credited my gut in my decisions about wild problems. The guidelines Roberts has offered just bring a lot more clarity and intentionality to that process. Great review!
I like Russ Roberts. His book on Adam Smith is terrific.
His list does have a glaring omission: You are not an individual (undivided one/Enlightenment idea) so make sure to seek out wise counsel. Prov. 11:14 reminds us that there is "victory" (NASB) or "safety" (NKJV) in wise counsel.
In all my big decisions (marriage, ministry opportunities, etc.) there are several men I go to for input. They can't collude with one another, but it is striking how similar their counsel has been.
In the end, I alone am responsible for my decisions, but having these wise friends gives me greater confidence that a certain direction is better than alternatives.
Appropriate that it was Darwin who imagined that some such tableau could make deeply human decisions. His cousin, Francis Dalton, took it a step farther and decided that one could use similar methods to evaluate other people’s worth—and thus was eugenics born. Galton, Karl Pearson, Ronald Fisher, and others developed what we know of as mathematical statistics to buttress their ghastly enterprise. (I wrote about it here: https://graboyes.substack.com/p/the-briar-and-the-rose.)
I actually did my Master's work in decision theory back in the early 1980's when behaviorism, cognitive psych and economics were clashing on theories of human motivation and behavior (I was in a behavioral Master's program, concurrently doing PhD work in a different cognitive program which was just getting traction, and was dabbling at an MBA.) It is really interesting how far removed from the concepts of economic rationality, cognition and behaviorism of 40 years ago this is. I've followed "pop psych" on decision making over the decades (everything from Psychology Today to women's magazine articles on how to make good decisions) and have watched a subtle shift from the "Darwinian method" to "gut check method". The fact it "makes perfect sense" is indicative of how our culture has shifted our perceptions of how our own minds work.
I love these insights. I think in that past I’ve credited my gut in my decisions about wild problems. The guidelines Roberts has offered just bring a lot more clarity and intentionality to that process. Great review!
I like Russ Roberts. His book on Adam Smith is terrific.
His list does have a glaring omission: You are not an individual (undivided one/Enlightenment idea) so make sure to seek out wise counsel. Prov. 11:14 reminds us that there is "victory" (NASB) or "safety" (NKJV) in wise counsel.
In all my big decisions (marriage, ministry opportunities, etc.) there are several men I go to for input. They can't collude with one another, but it is striking how similar their counsel has been.
In the end, I alone am responsible for my decisions, but having these wise friends gives me greater confidence that a certain direction is better than alternatives.