The Magic of 2 Seconds: Make Better Decisions, Avoid Silly Mistakes and Become Self Aware by Maxim Dsouza

Author:Maxim Dsouza [Dsouza, Maxim]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Published: 2020-07-31T16:00:00+00:00

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A person with a goal of covering all the world's best adventure spots has a purpose to bungee jump. I don't. I have a reason to make risky business investments because of my career and financial goals. The adventure traveler doesn't.

The decisions you make and the risks you take depend on the reason why you're doing what you're doing. If your why isn't strong enough, you will lean towards the risk-averse side. When you have a compelling purpose, you'll take your chances with the risk. Try to look at yourself to validate the theory. You will find yourself bold enough to take risks in certain areas and taking the safer route in some other aspects. Everyone has a risk-loving and risk-averse side within themselves.

How to use the 2-second principle to take smarter risks

Knowing your risk-taking tendency for the current situation is the first step to making better decisions. As mentioned earlier, loving or hating risks has little to do with your personality and more with the circumstances. Identify if you're feeling risk-loving or risk-averse for that situation. If you are risk-averse, you can use the pause to check for pessimism. If you are risk-loving, you can pause to check for unrealistic optimism.

When you feel like taking a risk

You can use both the waiting and ask a question technique to make smarter moves and avoid unnecessary risks.

1. Wait

When you find yourself making a decision that involves a high amount of risk, simply pause and do nothing. The gap between the action and decision can diffuse the emotions involved. If you are in a casino, eager to place another bet, pause and wait. After the dice is rolled, you might not feel the same for the next round. When you’re in a mood for taking risks, you crave for action. You feel your brain itching when you do nothing, which prompts you to make risky decisions. Postponing the action is the best way to help you avoid such a response in the first place.

2. Ask yourself if the reward is based on your assumption

Often, you assume you will receive a reward for your action. The problem is, you do not have the slightest breeze of evidence to support your belief. It directly stems from your mind because you believe so. You might even make up some fake evidence to validate your claims. In psychology, such behavior is called the confirmation bias. It is the tendency to only look at the proof that matches your belief and ignore facts that contradict your assumption. When we encounter evidence against our opinion, we reject them as exceptions or invalid. We love to stick to our opinion. We love to stroke our ego. We love to be right. You do so unconsciously without realizing the effect of the bias.

You may assume you don’t make such mistakes, but we all are daily victims of the bias. Surprised? Let me give you an example.

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