Decision Making - The Brain versus The Heart

When confronting a life altering decision which cannot be avoided, one must decide whether to trust their brain or heart to help decide.

The choice may appear quite simple; however, human feelings very often override the brain's determination. The choice of which to trust is up to the individual. No one can make it for you.

Each organ utilizes very different methodology. The brain bases decision making upon logic and fact. The heart bases decision making upon emotion and trust.

One of the methods arrives at the right decision 90% of the time, the other arrives at the wrong decision 90% of the time. I leave it up to you to decide which is which.
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Published on March 18, 2022 11:51
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message 1: by Leslie (new)

Leslie Garland I am sure you have noticed Jim, that first impressions count for an awful lot, which rather suggests that the heart rules. And if we move into the realms of love .....
I suggest it rather depends on the life altering decision in question, and this can be subdivided into the different elements involved. Marriage and the death of a spouce are probably the greatest life altering decisions that most of us will face. The heart governs both. One doesn't love because ..... One loves because one does. And following bereavement, the heart has to heal to some extent before the brain even gets a look in.
Humans are an illogical and confusing mix of animal on the one hand and civilised (we kid ourselves!) beings on the other. The heart navigates the animal elements of life; who we love, what colour wall paper we like, etc. Whereas the brain tries to navigate all the so-called logical rules that our governments, institutions, etc., impose on us; obtaining the mortgage to buy the house, getting the telephone company to connect us to the internet.
It is interesting to note however that the heart is our default setting. We don't suddenly become hyperlogical when trying to tell our beloved how much we love them, but we do loose our temper (the heart taking over) when some bone-headed, pen-pushing box-ticker won't get on with a job that we are paying them to do.

And now to a blatant plug. Sorry Jim. Please ignore if you want to.
Might you like to give my book The Ghost Moth a look over? Saint Paul observed in Galatians 5.17, ‘For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.’ which I hope you will agree is not an entirely diiferent subject to that posited by yourself. In the book, 'a tragic tale of the Spirit versus the Flesh', I try to explore the innate differences between male (perhaps more brain driven) and female (definitely more animal driven) which drive the differences between spiritual desires, or perhaps we should say religious doctrine, and sexual desires. The Goodreads link is The Ghost Moth if my blatant plug tickles your fancy. If it does, let me know and I'll send you a freebie.

Keep up the good work.


message 2: by Jim (last edited Mar 24, 2022 11:17AM) (new)

Jim Vuksic Leslie wrote: "I am sure you have noticed Jim, that first impressions count for an awful lot, which rather suggests that the heart rules. And if we move into the realms of love .....
I suggest it rather depends ..."


Leslie,

Thank you for taking the time to comment upon the blog post.

I checked out your Goodreads author profile. Your backgound as a civil engineer, and later as a professional photographer, is quite impressive; not to mention your track record as a published author - 8 published books which have generated 311 ratings (3.95 average) and 181 reviews to-date.

Your various life experiences obviously influenced your personal opinion related to the brain versus the heart impact upon decision-making under differing circumastances. I can personally relate to your experience.

During my time as a U.S. Marine in Viet-Nam and later during a 33 1/2-year management career, I often had to allow my brain to overrule my heart in major decision-making situations in order to deliver the expected results.

During a 35 1/2-year marriage to a wonderful woman who presented me with five wonderful children and innumerable fond memories, my heart quite ofen overruled my brain when making decisions involving family matters.

I appreciate the offer of a free book; however, I make it a rule to never accept a gratuitous copy of an author's work. That said; I may purchase a copy someday if I ever find time to read the numerous books already sitting on my shelves waiting to be read.

Jim Vuksic


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