Emotional or Rational?

Making decisions is hard? For most people it is, for some it even is hard to overcome. Since the weather just has gone sunny, you may find yourself standing in line for an ice-cream, in front of you a whole family trying to decide whether they shall take chocolat, banana-vanille or "boerenjongens" (literaly: Country boys, in this case: icecream with brandied raisins). They were even trying to be rational about it (if we all take chocolat, then little... aso)

Unfortunately, people are not very good in rational decisions for everyday use. We tend to trust our mental models (and we should!) and make emotional decisions. This is smart, because usually we do not have time to make a rational decision ("if I take a Papsi Max instead then it is low on sugar, but a Cherry-coke... Oh, no, I am late for class... Or shall I take a Rivella instead? It is also low in sugar and it's got this extraordinary taste, but maybe I should take a drink without bubbles, because that's gonna make me feel... Oh hell, I'll just have a black coffee. Oh, wait, there's also Wiener Melange in the new machine, I haven't tried it yet," aso aso).

Imagine this while driving a car? With another car driving towards you? (No, you're not playing chicken, you're trying to get the kid to school, to be in time for your work, and trying to decide what to eat tonight.) If you start thinking rational about the car in front of you, you may never know what you will eat tonight. You just don't have the time.
Suppose I have a long rope, from one building to another, say 10 meters up in the air (I had some left from my kid's kite), and I would ask you to test its strength by hanging at it.
You would say "no". (And that's probably why I won't ask you).

Is this a rational decision?

No, it isn't. You didn't take time to think about. You didn't need to, but therefor it is an emotional decision. Just be glad we are good at emotional decisions.

Perceptie

Zou iemand mayonaise lusten die legergroen van kleur is? Wat zou onze perceptie zijn? Bedorven? Of gewoon 'vreeeselijk'?
Hmmm, hoe krijg je iemand dan tot het eten van legergroene mayonaise?
Is eenvoudiger dan het lijkt, je geeft het gewoon een andere naam, dressing bijvoorbeeld.....
(dank Wouter Klootwijk)