Decision-Making: Part 1

A decision can be defined as the choice made between two or more options. Decision-making is the process of making a logical choice between those options. You want to always make responsible decisions, which is why you want to carefully think about your choices before you make them. A responsible decision leads to actions that promote health, respect, and safety for yourself and others.

However, we don’t always make responsible decisions. Sometimes, we don’t even take much time to think about the decisions we are making. In these instances, we are making impulse decisions. Impulse decisions are made based upon instinct, or quick feelings. These decisions can have positive or negative consequences, depending upon the situation.

An impulse decision, or gut reaction, can sometimes be a good thing. For example, if someone throws an object to you, you may instinctively move to either catch or dodge the object. In this case, your impulse decision keeps you safe and out of harm’s way.

At times, though, impulse decisions can be quite dangerous and lead to reckless behaviors. For this example, consider the following scenario: You are waiting at the mall for your mom to come pick you up, but she’s running late and you’re starting to get hungry. A stranger pulls up and offers you a ride home. As your stomach rumbles, you get in the car.

This would be a very dangerous situation! You should never get in a car with strangers, and this impulse decision would put you in harm’s way.