Friday, February 08, 2008

from Ellen Langer

"...there are those who don't worry about making the right decision because they realize there is no single right decision to be made."

"All our decisions are made in ignorance. If we knew what to do, we would just do it. The problem is not not knowing; rather the problem is thinking we should know. Any new endeavor is rife with decisions we'll have to face without much experience or knowledge."

Ellen Langer

Today artistamuvek posted a sweet drawing about choosing.

4 comments:

human being said...

"there is no single right decision to be made."

So true! Only if all people knew it!

Insightful quote. Thanks for sharing.

Unknown said...

ok, I guess we are all confronted with the same difficulties...
choice, decicion. The question which comes before the decision "what do I want". Or is it selfish and we should always ask first: "what do the others want"? A very "believing" friend of mine told me this week that we should test God, ask him to give us what we want. But always keep in mind that we humans are all "one" in order to "want" the right thing. I don't know and you told me it is ok not to know:)

sukipoet said...

Your welcome hb. I think making choices is one of the most important things we do in life and I have always wished it was something looked at in school for/with children so we would learn about it at a young age. And think about it.

Andrea I have in recent years (last 25 or so) realized that-- for me anyway-- if I ask "What do I want" and then pursue that I am creating clarity both for myself and for others. It seems to me when we try to figure out what others want we are beating our heads against a brick wall because how can one ever know. Even the others often don't really know what they want.

So for me to ask myself what do I want and then to pursue that I am also setting an example of sorts to these "others." Yes, here is a person who is creating a world she wants, creating clarity.

It is never selfish as we are all one. Whatever we do effects the universe and the energy and cells around us. We are creating kind and giving vibrations when we do what we want. (although we could argue that what if what I want is to kill my neighbor--still I would say that someone who sees killing as a solution to life's obstacles is hiding from what they really, deep down, want. They are obscured from the truth within them and think they can solve their confusion by killing or getting rid of the world as it is rather than working with and through it--the obstacle).

sukipoet said...

oops I meant is to kill my neighbor then that is not a good thing to want