Recently Seth Godin in "Seth's Blog" posted on "Time shifting".  He described how people make decisions based on the "now".  There is a difference between the individual who may look slightly into the future regarding the decisions they are making now, versus the "mob" which makes decisions only on the "now".  

Mob Vs. Me Thinking

So it made me think about the difference between the "me" decision and the "mob" decision.  

"Me" has a single integrated brain. It has reflexes that can produce immediate responses, but it also has memory.  It's the memory of what has happened in the past that can modify the "me" current decision.  Moreover, that memory can influence the projection of what may occur in the future based on a decision "now".  You make decisions based on the past, present, and future. Hopefully, these are decisions that are optimal for your future. 

"Mob" has no such memory.  For that reason, it can only react at the moment.  The individuals of the mob interact like a network of brain cells that produce a reflex action in response to a stimulus.  That multi-person network has no ability to look back in the past, nor project into the future.  Mob only reacts in the present.  It has no past. It has no future.  For that reason, it's only concerned with the "now".  The mob's...

Fad and Styles.

What's the latest craze?

Polyester leisure suits.

Shag carpeting.

Pet Rocks.

Wide lapels.

Tie-Dyed Shirts.

Mini-skirts

Frozen Yogurt Stores.

Gangham Style.

Monster Trucks.

Mini-Houses.

Disco.

You can name a million different fads and styles.

But in the end....they are gone.  Thankfully.

Fads and Styles Versus Classic

We are in the process of making some significant style decisions on our home.  And these can be very expensive decisions.  The question is this...do you bow to the current wave of popularity and choose what is in style currently?  Or do you choose something which isn't "in" or "out" of style?  They call that "timeless" or "classic".  To me, it's important to make a decision that will provide lasting benefit and minimize the potential for regret that comes with spending time, energy and money on a fad.  

The risk is real. Do you bow to the self-imposed peer-pressure of having something that is currently popular, only to find that in a few years your decision is quickly outdated and now out of style? That can take a lot of effort and be very expensive to fix. Or do you stop, think about the decision before you choose, and then make a decision based on what will be the best decision now AND into the future?  

It's no different in all aspects of your life.  Think about the horizon...

Just what the heck is a "decision" anyway?

It seems like every time we have to make a "decision", it's because we are faced with a problem.

Do you make a "decision" if you need another piece of cake?  

Do you make a "decision" if you need a new automobile?

Do you make a "decision" to do the right thing?

Do you make a "decision" if you are going to make a career move?

 It seems like a "decision" is an either/or process. One option can be good, one could be bad.  And it's up to us to "decide" which we will take a chance on.  

We do this ... or we do that.  We decide on one thing versus another.

But what about a "choice"?

It's nice when we can make a "choice".

A "choice" if we want that additional piece of cake.

A "choice" if we want to replace our existing automobile.

A "choice" to do the right thing.

A "choice" if we want to change careers.

A "Choice" seems to imply that we have two or more good options that we can choose from.  It's a good place to be.

A "Decision" seems to imply that we are faced with options, some of which could be bad.  It's not a great place to be.

How nice it would be if all of our "Decisions" could actually be "Choices".

It's your choice on which to use in the future.