How We Make Decisions

In a new book, "How We Decide," recently reviewed in the Los Angeles Times the author writes about how emotion and conscious reason combine.

Soren Kierkegaard and some philosophers acknowledged that there is a cognitive dimension to emotion, and later, that reason and emotion may not be entirely separate agencies. The author, Jonah Lehrer does not believe we should all operate like Mr. Spock, (a "hyper-rational" creature).

Interestingly, the author tells us that perfectly intelligent people are unable to make decisions, "even the most trivial ones, when their capacity for feelings are flattened as a result of brain disease or trauma."

According to the review, the book contains a heavy reliance on brain-imaging studies to see how the brain functions. The central point of the book is that by knowing how our minds work we can better use that part of our body. "Doubts are unpleasant turbulence to brains barreling toward conclusions. . . to improve our decision-making IQs we need to make an effort to nurture our inner skeptics."

Even more reason to season that relationship-building session with emotion and a sense of building trust!