II. Problems With Human Decision-Making

   As mentioned on page 6, group decision-making is not error-free. Though perhaps superior to individual decision-making in terms of avoiding possible error (potentially at least, if the members are all dedicated and competent, as previously mentioned. And remember that group decision-making tends to be a lot more time-consuming than individual decision-making), group decision-making is still human decision-making.

   Humans? Did somebody say, "humans”? Yeah. That's where all the problems start.

   We're all born ignorant ... completely ignorant. So, if you want your toddler to grow up and become a serious decision-maker among a group of others, he/she is going to need some specialized training, not to mention successful completion of some prerequisite educational level, as well as a bit of self-discipline thrown in. As with anything we humans do, if we aren't adequately taught we usually don't adequately perform, even with something commonly perceived as just simply decision-making. (Oh!, but how deceptive simplicity can be!)

   To top that off, there are flaws in our basic programming that work splendidly at keeping us alive when we are competing with Mother Nature but perform poorly at directing our attention toward considerations of, "What is right for everybody?” when we are all trying to work together as a collective group or as members of civilized society.

   What are those flaws? Quite simply, we are inherently selfish and lazy. And if that doesn't suffice at spurring your concern, recognize this:

laziness   +   selfishness   =>   assumptions, inattention & apathy

   (Theorem stated without proof. Seems apparent and obvious. Just introspect a bit to recognize this as true.)

   Our thoughts begin with ourselves. By default, even if only briefly, we always automatically focus attention on ourselves — at least as a means of making sure all our personal machinery is still in order and functioning. Then do we begin to tackle all other problems exterior to and apart from ourselves. And because we aren't born omniscient, we make assumptions and accumulate particular, perhaps over-simplified, perceptions of the world surrounding us, preferring to believe those assumptions to be sufficient guides in our decision-making. When we direct our focus at a particular problem or concern, we immediately conjure up an idea of what the appropriate solution might be. Though we may learn about our world as time passes, we certainly NEVER learn EVERYTHING. To manage that inherent mental limitation, we prefer to rely on those assumptions and perceptions to help us navigate through all that's going on around us on a daily basis. Consequently, our decision-making tends to be limited to a smaller set of possibilities than Reality is capable of throwing our way. We decide according to what we perceive as the most likely to produce the results we want, without exerting the required effort to recognize some subtle possibility or consequence which we may be overlooking. We make decisions according to what seems credible to us, while rejecting RARE exceptions or possibilities:

"Oh, just forget that. That’s just too rare or unusual to happen to ME!”

   We must become aware of our own innate tendencies if we are to avoid all potential for mental error. Because we are inherently lazy, rather than make the effort to imagine possibilities or seek out new and perhaps contradictory information, we prefer to allow new experiences to point out where we are wrong or where our perceptions aren't as generally applicable as we had believed. It is also this mental apathy that steers our thinking away from potential accountability for the decisions we make. Coupled with our selfish and self-protective tendencies, we are inclined to sidestep, rather than openly acknowledging responsibility for those decisions that somehow went wrong — even though they are the consequences to the actions we ourselves initiated.

   When we cling to our cherished beliefs, assumptions or perceptions, we scoff at rare exceptions or special cases that are deemed "too improbable to worry over.” Where we fail to focus our attention, we ignore or overlook. When we allow ourselves to become apathetic, we no longer care about accountability and subsequent possible consequences.

   Programming ourselves into a more disciplined and CARING attitude, of course, is arguably the most effective means of avoiding this inherent human stupidity, but it doesn't always work:

   Get the picture? Humans are just downright dumb. Yes, we have accomplished much, and we are capable of even greater accomplishments. But, we must never lose sight of who we really are. We must never allow our accomplishments to blind us from our inherent capacity for embarrassment and blunder.

   To move on to the next section...

   Group decision-making is usually effective at eliminating all these problems, but ...

III. Catching Group Errors

   Yes, group decision-making is usually effective at eliminating these problems, because where one person may be sluggish at his/her duties (for one reason or another), the other dozen or so will likely be able to catch up the slack.

   ...which immediately directs our attention to the BIGGEST problem with group decision-making — that nasty little word, "likely.” Because they are a group everyone typically believes they won't overlook anything ... but they do! And sometimes the consequences can be disastrous ... deadly disastrous.

   So, what do we need to do to avoid disaster? Perhaps the best way is to know what to look for. If we know what ideals to commit ourselves to, we'll know where to focus our attention so as to catch and correct those errors that could lead to some rather serious problems later on. To that end, what follows is a list of Commitments, each discussed in turn, to help your group catch those troublesome oversights.

    A. Righteousness:  Commitment To Safety, Responsibility & Caring

   Blamelessness — your primary goal in all decision-making. You don't want to make a decision that could later put you in a position where you might be blamed for a wrong. That single word certainly constitutes an apt synonym for Righteousness, for he who is Righteous could never be blamed: He is never wrong. Should anything go wrong at any point in time, the righteous decision-maker could never be held accountable — did nothing, said nothing, thought nothing to bring the dire circumstances to the fore. He or she is beyond reproach ... always. Is such a goal humanly possible? All the time? In every situation? Perhaps, but perhaps not. However, it's certainly a lofty aspiration to keep our human eyes fixed upon.

   You must always bear in mind that we are not born righteous. We are born selfish (and dumb), and though that little instinct goes a long way toward keeping us alive, it can also get us into a lot of trouble when we find ourselves among others. He who commits a wrong is quickly punished by those around him, for otherwise the group could not remain a cohesive unit, with all group members working together harmoniously. Righteousness is learned or disciplined. So, if you find your subordinates behaving in a way that perhaps seems a bit self-centered and inconsiderate, without analyzing alternatives or recognizing a broader perspective over the matter at hand, just remember that you once behaved similarly before receiving the appropriate guidance and instruction.

1. Basic Human Programming:     Take/Gain. Avoid Pain/Loss. Keep It For Yourself. 2. Righteousness:     Care/Concern. Protect/Provide. Self-discipline/Self-sacrifice.

   As pointed out in Mental Map: Righteousness, a caring, empathetic, ethical/moral, deliberative, safe and responsible leader is righteous, but righteousness in the professional world encompasses more than just that. As a righteous professional you must be cognizant of all the laws that are applicable to your situation. Moreover, always recognize the possibility that the laws are themselves incomplete, that our legislators may have overlooked some particular details or subtle exceptions. (See description of Righteousness at Morality In Decision Making.) Righteousness and Responsibility demand that you decide accordingly, amending your own decision-making in a way that is best for all those who will subsequently become affected, sometimes well beyond the dictates of some imperfectly conceived law.

A good man does nothing for the sake of appearance, but for the sake of doing right. — Epictetus, Discourses, III.

   Remember that, as mentioned in Part I, on page 2, in the long run, NOTHING is of greater importance or attains higher priority than considerations of Individual Rights. Nothing, no issue of "fairness," no capital gain or loss, no argument — however popular, emotion-packed or powerfully advocated — can achieve greater significance or value than caring for and protecting the lives of all those who will subsequently become touched by your decisions. [... more on the next page >>]

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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