Two categories.
A line down the center.
And then a decision is made.
I never quite understood why pros and cons lists are such a popular way to make a decision. It seems simple enough, you write the positive outcomes and reasons on one side and the not-so-good ones on the other. That’s how it begins.
Soon you have so many reasons, you’re just staring at a list of neat bullet points in confusion. But pros and cons lists don’t factor in the actual weight of each reason.
For example, maybe you’re thinking about skipping studying for a test.
The pros are:
- I can do anything else I want
- I can probably cram right before
- Extra sleep.
And the cons are just:
- Potentially failing and damaging my average.
According to this list, “extra sleep” and “failing” have the same impact. So, the only “right” answer is to not study, right? (it’s not).
Worse, the list only encourages overthinking. Is this all? Are you absolutely sure you thought of everything, brain? For every con, your brain might try to balance it with an uplifting pro until you start tilting the odds by yourself. The actual clarity in your mind weakens after contemplating so many options.
To be fair, they are good for organizing your thoughts and brainstorming. But it’s almost as accurate as tossing a coin or asking a Magic 8 Ball if you don’t know what to do after. Maybe we like these lists because they could lead to perfect decisions. Maybe we like it because we think if we write down enough, the answer will reveal itself.
That isn’t how decision making works though.
At the end of the day, the decision is yours. It’s your intuition and judgment versus the illusion created by organized reasons. The world is filled with possibilities and your brain excels at trying to find all of them. The list can only take you so far.
Pros and cons lists don’t give you clarity.
They only create the impression of it.
