Often the path we choose is dictated by societal rules, parental guidance and social pressure. Sometimes, however, these dicta lead us along a path that is at odds with what we find intuitive or desirable.
One way to find the path forward is to carefully examine the traditional sources of guidance as well as our intuitions and desires. Each of those can be contaminated by muddled thinking, motivated reasoning and cognitive biases.
This examination is riddled with traps. On the one hand, you are likely to underestimate the value of existing traditions due to arrogance (“I know better than everyone else before me”) or low tolerance for uncertainty (“This buzzfeed article supports my intuitions so let’s stop the research process here and go with it”). On the other hand, you are likely to underestimate your own intuitions and desires due to dogmatism (“Let’s just go with the status quo”) or desire to make others happy (“I will do this for my friends even though this is not really what I want”).
Thread reflectively.
