But whose opinion do you ask? You could go to your best friend or someone else with whom you share common interests and values. But you’ll do much better by asking people who think differently. People who are like you will probable agree with you. That will boost your confidence, but not the accuracy of the decision.
A better tactic is to go to people with different backgrounds, different occupations-different biases. And if you want to get double your money’s worth from a second opinion, ask for it before you reveal your own feelings, say the experts. Don’t walk in and say, “I’ve decided that I’m going to get this operation-what do you think?” The advice you get will be much more valuable if it comes without any influence from you.