Does denying your emotions lead to making bad decisions?

Last week I polled LinkedIn asking, “Do you believe that most decisions are emotionally based?” Over 700 responses were received and 79% of the voters agreed, emotions play a role in decision making.?

Every choice you make is driven by emotion.?

Don’t believe me?

You often hear people say,“Don’t make decisions based on emotions.” And to that I say, “Why not?”?

Emotions are what drive our every decision.?

We may claim that we are logical beings who always think things through and then act accordingly, but there is no escaping the fact that emotions play a big role in how we decide—even in situations where you would least expect it. Embrace your emotions and let them work for you.

Let me give you an example: Imagine that at the supermarket, you are faced with a choice between apples and oranges. You could always go for an orange (that’s what usually happens), but this time, be honest, which of these two fruits would make you happier? The greenness of the apple, its crisp texture…you can almost taste it! Or maybe you have a nostalgic relationship with orange juice—the one thing that got you through many nights during finals week; or because it is your favorite color….or who knows what else? Maybe subconsciously you associate an orange with your mother, who made sure she was able to get fresh fruit when filling her supermarket trolley…and you know how emotional we can get with our mothers.

Better decisions are made by the heart and gut, opposed to the brain.

An example, the fear of failure. It plays an important role in many people’s lives. Think about someone beginning something new, questioning whether they will be able to deal with all its challenges —the rejection, the setbacks…. However, after considering these challenges logically, they realize that it is easier to be prepared and they take the risk.?

Then this fear of failure comes back—but this time it's emotional! They start thinking it’s too hard and the consequences of failure would be devastating, so they don’t even start.

Now I know many will argue that we need to make decisions solely on facts as that is what should guide our actions —the data speaks for itself. We are told there should be no room for emotion in decision making, this is not 100% accurate. Whether we like it or not, I believe that emotions are very much involved in every decision we make.?

The problem is that most of us do not like to admit this and deny the importance of the role that emotions play in decision making. It may not be immediately obvious, but if we take the time to think about what drives our decisions, some emotional reason will always be prevalent.

Emotions help us make better decisions

Although I agree with the statement “Do not make decisions based on emotions,” I cannot agree with the reasoning behind it. Our best decisions are made when our emotions and logic work together. There are many situations where quick, emotional? reactions can be a good thing. Our logical brain then kicks in to process the outcome and, if necessary, “correct” it.?

Emotions are what drive us to do things that we later regret because of our brain telling us: “what were you thinking?” Perhaps a better approach would be one in which both our minds and hearts work together so that emotion helps us make quick decisions based on common sense, which then allows our brains to analyze these decisions and make sure they are correct.?

Be grateful for your emotions, because they allow you to be decisive. Successful people do their research. Then they decide, and are slow to change their decisions. What is your take on our decisions being driven by emotions?

Please share your opinions…

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