Thinking Err0rs

Strangely, trying to remember more numbers decreases our self control. We now know why. Our prefrontal cortex, crucial to our rational decision making, can only hold a small amount of information. It roughly can hold seven plus or minus two “items” at the same time. The result: when our rational brain is busy remembering numbers, it is less able to control our emotions. We go for the fattening piece of cake.

Where does this leave us, in practical terms? While it now appears that the rational/emotional competition is an oversimplification of our decision making process, it is still a useful metaphor for improved decision making.

So, how do we know when to use our gut? Roughly speaking, if we are making comparisons based on few features, we should use our rational thinking abilities. We should analyze the available data. If there are many features, we are better off using our gut.