by Cousin Dave

I find myself increasingly surprised and annoyed by mostly sane people who won’t think for themselves. Do you really need a appointment with an ear-nose-throat specialist before you pick your nose?

It seems we’ve gone so soft in our decision-making capacity that we are unable to put one foot in front of the other without consulting an expert in walking. And of course, a follow up session to review the moment of motion.

I’m sure the decline of sober deciders didn’t happen overnight. Perhaps the increased accountability because of technology or the heightened fear of litigation has made everyone think twice before making a decision. But what if over-thinking is our downfall?

An interesting study on the timing of decision-making found the “outcome of a decision can be encoded in brain activity of prefrontal and parietal cortex up to 10 seconds before it enters awareness.” Is the ability to delay a decision long enough for a “second thought” short-circuiting our ability to make good decisions?

While the quickness of a decision may be part of the problem, I suspect another reason for our collective decision dulling is our habit of turning experts into celebrities. If I have to hear one more story about your world renowned, high priced, one step from God podiatrists, I may chop off your pinky toe so I can witness this divinity.

I was recently asked for advice on what to do about a sore calf muscle. My suggestion was to identify what recent activity had made it sore, and to consider refraining from that activity for a time. I thought it a clever reboot of the classic, “Doctor, it hurts when I do this.”

Even as I was delivering the line, I realized it was not going to be taken seriously. Without quoting a bold study that sacrificed the dignity of several humans and the lives of many mice, my two cents was not even worth that.

My common sense answer didn’t stand a chance of credibility without warranting a new high powered drug, a reference to an immutable DNA marker and a Hail Mary to the slightest probability of endocrinological culpability.

“You worked out too hard yesterday. Take a day off” has been demoted to the ranks of, “Nurse, this is serious. I’ll need my bucket of leeches”.

Before I go on, I should disclose my bias. I come from a long line of solid thinking, Kentucky Cousins (#KYCuz) who consider, “He has book smarts” synonymous with, “He’s dumb as a box of rocks.” I was taught that learning school room lessons prepares you for a school room but learning life lessons prepares you for life.

I try to maintain a healthy balance of common sense and book smarts. I am not terrified by a subject expert with an education level beyond fifth grade, and conversely, I also believe my mom can grow better tomatoes than most with a PhD in horticulture. As old fashioned as it may seem, I think you still need to have a look at the nut before you can choose a wrench.

Is it too much to ask that people step up their game of effective decision-making? I know every decision can’t be made by your gut in under two seconds, but a whole lot of them can. I also know that some decisions need collegiate consideration and glacially paced research, but most don’t.

Sometimes it’s OK to take your time, phone a friend or hire an expert. But sometimes the only expert you need is the expert that had the answer 10 seconds before you were aware of the question. Your gut. Your instinct. Your inner expert.

The next time you’re on the fence about which expert to consult, think about the hourly rate of your inner expert. But don’t think about it too long!