We humans are far less rational than we’d like to believe. Even very smart people make all kinds of bad decisions. Aristotle’s rules for deliberation still serve as a practical method to slow down, clarify thinking, and improve decision-making.

Aesop’s classic fable of the Goose that Laid the Golden Eggs conveys an issue at the heart of human society: we can be really bad at decision-making. We often make decisions that satisfy a craving in the short term but at the expense of the long term.

Recognizing our tendency toward poor decision-making, Aristotle devised an approach over 2300 years ago to help make better decisions. Modern-day scholar Edith Hall presents his rules for deliberation, which offer us a systematic framework for making better decisions.

These rules include slowing down the decision-making process, ensuring that we incorporate the perspectives of everyone affected by the decision, considering the range of possible outcomes, and other insightful considerations.

Employing a systematic approach like this helps us to counter some of the biases and mental shortcuts that can lead us toward bad choices. With these methods, may you conserve your golden gooses for many years to come!

See full transcript here:
https://projectindra.org/apotheosis-podcast/episode-46-aristotle-and-the-art-of-deliberation/