Emotional Decisions?

I remember reading an article in Discover Magazine from a couple of years ago where there was a story on brain patterns and the speed of thinking. The person who the story was about, Dr. Antonio Damasio (department head of neurology at the University of Iowa), made some interesting statements that worked to explain how people thought about things in intense moments. One of those statements was that emotions turn out to be essential to our rational decision making processes. He states:

“If we didn’t have those gut responses, we’d get caught in an endless cycle of analysis, drawing infinite pros and cons lists in our heads… emotions help you concentrate on making the right decision.”

It’s an interesting way to look at how we deal with making crucial decisions in times of stress. I, along with many others, speak of making sure you keep your cool and try to think logically before making most of your decisions, and this comes from some of the principles of Rene Descartes, considered the father of modern philosophy. And it would still seem to be valid thinking when one has the luxury of time in making a decision. However, we don’t always have that luxury, and I’d have to agree with the good doctor that we would basically shut ourselves down with indecision in times where snap decisions had to be made, as in life and death situations.

Still, each of these types of decisions are made every day by good leaders. Not every snap decision is the right one, but sometimes, it’s not as crucial to be absolutely correct as it is to do something, period.