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| Avoiding Mental Error CARE & CONCERN: Put your mind to work, even if contrary to your own mood. | |
BE CAREFUL! Monitor for what you may have overlooked. Responsibility for the outcomes to your own decisions. | IMAGINE Possibilities! Search everywhere! Thoroughly analyze every potential avenue. Don't Rely Solely On Your Memories or Experience. Competence: Find another whose knowledge/training/experience exceeds your own. Remember the value of Overview. |
| Documenting & Organizing ideas and information. | |
I t is instructive to point out that over FOUR DOZEN persons occupied the U.S. Constitutional Congress in 1789.3 Moreover, the Constitution that was finally drafted in 1789 was meant as an improvement over the original documents — the Articles of Confederation — ratified in 1781.4 So, over 7 years elapsed between the first and second documents. And, even then, despite
- having a group of over FOUR DOZEN, and
- having over 7 years to recognize the possibility,
the U.S. Continental Congress (which had been in existence since 1774) still overlooked a Bill of Rights to help protect U.S. citizens from any potential for whimsical oligarchy or tyranny in their new central government. Though individual members argued for such a bill, the group deemed it unnecessary. Virginia delegate, George Mason, was one such opponent of the newly adopted Constitution, arguing vehemently for a "declaration of rights." Only subsequently was the necessity for such a bill recognized, and in their formal ratification of the document several state conventions requested such a bill; others ratified the Constitution in the anticipation that the amendments would be forthcoming.5
This sets a clear example of the human mind at work — rule-of-thumb thinking in the present and analysis, reflection and careful deliberation subsequently. We create, observe what we created, then improve upon it. The question is, "Why can’t we always 'get it right the first time’?”
Even today, with several hundred members occupying the U.S. Congress, laws are still being rewritten, improved upon and modified, because earlier Congresses overlooked particular fine details and possibilities. The U.S. Supreme Court still hears cases of legislative bodies — state and federal — violating basic principles of constitutionality.
What is it that causes these legislative bodies of several hundred to overlook such basic principles which they all supposedly profess to adhere to?
Are we really so stupid?
So it would seem.
The best that we can do ... well, is to do "the best that we can do”... all the time. Not some of the time. Not tomorrow. Not next month or next year. Today. Now. Because, chances are that no matter how hard we try to get things right today, tomorrow we'll notice something that we had overlooked, forgotten or otherwise trivialized in some way. In other words, the human mind appears to be perpetually doomed to an inherent propensity for mental error.
Adam Smith knew and actually states precisely this (simply by using that clever little word, "frequently”). Unfortunately, most of us who have gained familiarity (typically in Economics classes) with his notion of the "Invisible Hand" have a different perception. Here are his exact words, first published in 1776, for all to see:
As every individual, therefore, endeavours as much as he can both to employ his capital in the support of domestic industry, and so to direct that industry that its produce may be of the greatest value; every individual necessarily labours to render the annual revenue of the society as great as he can. He generally, indeed, neither intends to promote the public interest, nor knows how much he is promoting it. By preferring the support of domestic to that of foreign industry, he intends only his own security; and by directing that industry in such a manner as its produce may be of the greatest value, he intends only his own gain, and he is in this, as in many other cases, led by an invisible hand to promote an end which was no part of his intention. Nor is it always the worse for the society that it was no part of it. By pursuing his own interest he frequently promotes that of the society more effectually than when he really intends to promote it.
See The Adam Smith Institute's
A Practical Guide for Making Decisions, 1980, by Daniel Wheeler and Irving L Janis: Click here for more from these two authors.
See the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration's Exhibit Hall: The Charters of Freedom: The Constitution: The Founding Fathers at http://www.archives.gov/exhibit_hall/charters_of_freedom/constitution/founding_fathers.html.
See the U.S. Library of Congress' American Memory Collection: Documents From The Continental Congress: To Form a More Perfect Union: The Work of the Continental Congress and the Constitutional Convention at http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/bdsds/intro01.html.
See the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration's Exhibit Hall: The Charters of Freedom: The Constitution: The Bill of Rights at http://www.archives.gov/exhibit_hall/charters_of_freedom/bill_of_rights/bill_of_rights.html.
Groupthink: Psychological Studies of Policy Decisions and Fiascoes, 1982, by Irving Lester Janis.
Victims of Groupthink: A Psychological Study of Foreign-Policy Decisions and Fiascoes, 1972, by Irving Lester Janis.
Essentials of Organizational Behavior (6th ed.), 1999, by Stephen P. Robbins: Click here for more from this author.
A Guide to Moral Decision Making by Chris MacDonald, Ph.D.: http://www.ethicsweb.ca/guide/index.html.
A Framework for Ethical Decision-Making: Version 6.0 by Dr. Michael McDonald: http://www.compliance.co.za/documents/a_framework_for_ethical_decision.htm.
See also, at this web site: Decision: How To Effectively Select The Most Prudent Decisions, Ethical Decision: A Framework For Ethical Decision Making and Morality In Decision Making.
All opinions expressed in this web site, unless otherwise noted, are my own, Michael Gaspard. If you notice any errors or have any suggestions for improvement, please let me know by e-mailing webmaster@mdpme.com. Thank you!This web page was last updated on Monday, February 2, 2004.
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