Subconscious Choices
Most of us believe we primarily make decisions with our conscious, rational brain and that occasionally our subconscious desires lead us astray. Bad news. Brain science clearly shows it’s the exact OPPOSITE.
Neuroscience estimates that at least 85% of our decision-making is completely subconscious. Sure, our choices feel like rational, analytical decisions, but nothing could be further from the truth.
Our decision-making process looks something like this: our SUBCONSCIOUS brain FEELS something and makes a choice. Then, our CONSCIOUS brain looks to VALIDATE what our subconscious brain has already decided.
This means that most of the time, our conscious brain isn’t the decider, it’s a RUBBER STAMP of our subconscious desires.
The brain science shows that most of us are really just big balls of instinct walking around. We kid ourselves into believing we’re these amazing analytical geniuses who could thrash Mr. Spock at rationality.
Just try going on a diet or driving slower.
Luckily, most of our subconscious choices are good ones, but it’s important that we not kid ourselves. We can override subconscious decision-making, but we’ve got to fortify our brain for a mighty battle.
Whenever you’re making an important choice, do it SLOWLY. Revisit that decision time and time again. Re-examine that choice when you’re in different moods, on different days, and in different places. Never forget that 5 times out of 6, we’ll make the easier instinctual choice, not the conscious choice that’s better for us in the long run.
If you’d like to learn how to make smarter decisions using the latest brain science insights, check out the short video in the first comment. You’ll learn the weird way your brain makes a choice.