Here's How to Make Decisions Based on Reality and How to Avoid Jumping to Conclusions

Each step in the decision-making process is represented by a rung on the ladder. You start at the bottom, then climb each rung before making a decision and taking action. Going up and down the ladder usually happens unconsciously and very quickly in your brain, which leads to gaps in your thinking and reasoning process, makes you jump to conclusions, and results in bad decisions.

We make hundreds of decisions throughout the day, most being automatic without much effort on our part. Information overload, cognitive biases, time constraints, and social and emotional influences can lead to quick and sometimes irrational conclusions.

Our beliefs and worldviews act as filters that affect which information we pay attention to and how we interpret it. A lack of awareness can further make it challenging to recognize ...