The muscular mind

A big decision can be like an enormous chunk of steak. Try to swallow it without first cutting it up, and you risk choking. So says Paul Slovic, Ph.D., professor of psychology at the University of Oregon and president of Decision Research, a nonprofit research institute in Eugene, who recommends a technique he calls “incrementalism.” Say, for instance, that you’re considering giving up your job as a salesman in Chicago to become a sportswriter in Miami. The decision involves not only starting a new career but selling your house, moving your family and leaving all your friends. You’ve been agonizing over this one for some time.
Decision like this can be overwhelming, says Dr. Slovic. The thing to do if you feel overwhelmed is to cut up the dilemma into smaller pieces. Perhaps you can find a part-time newspaper job in Chicago, while keeping your present job, to see if reporting will be as much to your liking as you think. Possibly you can take time off from work and spend it in Miami with the family to see how much everyone goes for Florid living. You may be surprised. “We tend to think that we can predict new situations better than we actually can,” says Dr. Slovic.