What Happened to Simple Choices?

Some years ago, I was having lunch with several representatives of Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center when the topic of “bad choices” made by teenagers, who ended up in the hospital, arose.  If you have raised a teenager, you can identify with this fear.  Unfortunately, the consequences of bad choices do not end with the teen years.

All of us come into this world at a given state that was determined by our parents.  We didn’t choose our parents, siblings, gender, religion, race, economic standard, color of our hair, etc., etc., etc.  And, thus begins our journey of choices.  As time passes, our choices plot our path in life.  The learning and development years are the most critical for establishing the foundation for how we make choices as adults, as it is during this period that we begin to understand the “risk-reward” trade-off.  Then, all of a sudden, we are adults.

Hopefully along the way we recognize that all choices have consequences.  Growing up it seemed that the consequences were easily recognized because as teenagers we played on the edge and the response was often quick.  As adults, we play in an arena where the consequences of our choices are often difficult to recognize, or more importantly, several steps removed from the decision.  I call this “the second and third order consequences” of decision-making. (https://thinkinthingsover.wordpress.com/2013/02/03/the-second-and-third-order-consequences-8/)

With the advent of the digital world, social media, a dynamic global economy that is wired like a circuit board, and fierce competition at all levels of our lives, all decisions/choices should matter because they ‘could’ have an impact on your ‘future.’  In effect, many everyday choices are no longer simple decisions.  Therefore, get in the habit of thinking about what might happen when you make a decision; beyond the desired result of the decision.  You will be surprised at what you will discover.  In the end, you will make better decisions.

By now you are probably wondering what the connection is between this post and my picture above.  It is a simple choice, what type of beer do I want.  Perhaps a Seasonal Lager.  Is there something else I should consider?  Price perhaps.  Ok, reasonably priced Seasonal Lager; got it.  A pint please! — How about, what is the ABV rating?

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