Frequently asked questions about thinking, epistemology, and cognitive tools. 9738 answers
Weight your criteria and score options systematically when multiple factors matter.
Weight your criteria and score options systematically when multiple factors matter.
Weight your criteria and score options systematically when multiple factors matter.
Weight your criteria and score options systematically when multiple factors matter.
Pick a real decision you're facing that involves at least three options and at least four criteria. Build a weighted decision matrix on paper or in a spreadsheet. First, list your criteria without assigning weights — just get them all down. Second, assign weights from 1 to 5 based on how much each.
Treating the matrix output as the answer rather than as a structured input to your judgment. When people build their first decision matrix, they tend to either game the weights to confirm what they already wanted or mechanically follow the highest score without asking whether the model captured.
Weight your criteria and score options systematically when multiple factors matter.
Spend minimal time on easily reversible decisions and maximum time on irreversible ones.
Spend minimal time on easily reversible decisions and maximum time on irreversible ones.
Spend minimal time on easily reversible decisions and maximum time on irreversible ones.
Spend minimal time on easily reversible decisions and maximum time on irreversible ones.
Spend minimal time on easily reversible decisions and maximum time on irreversible ones.
Spend minimal time on easily reversible decisions and maximum time on irreversible ones.
Spend minimal time on easily reversible decisions and maximum time on irreversible ones.
Spend minimal time on easily reversible decisions and maximum time on irreversible ones.
One-way doors deserve careful analysis — two-way doors should be walked through quickly.
One-way doors deserve careful analysis — two-way doors should be walked through quickly.
One-way doors deserve careful analysis — two-way doors should be walked through quickly.
One-way doors deserve careful analysis — two-way doors should be walked through quickly.
List your five most recent decisions that took more than a day to make. For each one, answer: if this decision turns out badly, can I reverse it within a week at low cost? Mark each as a one-way door or a two-way door. Count how many two-way doors consumed disproportionate deliberation time. For.
Intellectually agreeing that most decisions are reversible while continuing to deliberate on every one of them. The framework becomes another thing you know about instead of something that changes your behavior. You'll catch yourself when you notice the third meeting about a decision that could be.
One-way doors deserve careful analysis — two-way doors should be walked through quickly.
For most decisions good enough is better than perfect because the search cost exceeds the improvement.
Pick a decision you've been delaying. Write down three to five criteria that define 'good enough' — the minimum threshold an option must clear. Now evaluate your options against only those criteria. The first option that passes all of them is your answer. Commit to it for 30 days before.