The Hard Choice Model
Ruth Chang · 2014
"Hard choices aren't hard because you are stupid; they are hard because there is no objectively 'best' option. You must become the author of your own life by choosing what matters to you."
When we struggle to make a decision, we often assume there is a 'right' answer we just haven't found yet. The Hard Choice Model reveals that in truly hard choices, the options are simply on par with each other. Neither is clearly better overall.
Easy choices happen when one option is objectively better. Hard choices happen when options are fundamentally different but carry equal weight (like choosing between being a lawyer in the city or an artist in the country). Because science or logic cannot dictate which is 'better,' you cannot use a pros-and-cons list to solve it.
According to the Hard Choice Model, why do we struggle with hard choices?
Read more about the topic
The explanation above is written with AI assistance. These are the originals — go to them to check it.
- Hard Choice ModelUntools
Expected Value
"Choose the option whose average outcome, weighted by probability, is highest."