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5 Principles for Making Better Life Decisions
Article

5 Principles for Making Better Life Decisions

Mark Manson, 2018

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Editorial Rating

8

Qualities

  • Applicable
  • Engaging

Recommendation

Decca Records decided against signing the Beatles because managers felt that “guitar bands are on the way out.” Technology company Kodak invented the digital camera but then decided against marketing it. Anyone who would like to avoid such bloopers will benefit from reading this article by outspoken lifestyle guru Mark Manson. His language is certainly blunt, but everyone who has to make tough decisions will find his sound advice useful.

Summary

If you want to make better decisions in your life, heed these five principles:

  1. “Understand value and biases” – Weigh the outcomes of your decision on various axes. Overcome the inevitable bias toward emotional factors. Financial, social, intellectual and other ones matter, too. Challenge pre-existing beliefs. Don’t cling to a decision because you’ve already invested time. Admitting that you’ve been wrong in the past will help you learn from mistakes.
  2. “Lose on purpose (sometimes)” – Losing doesn’t matter if it helps you ...

About the Author

Mark Manson is a lifestyle guru and successful writer and blogger. He is the author of the bestselling book The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life.


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