Fast Company Daily 5 facts about the brain to improve your decision-making skills
May 21, 2025
Discover how the brain drives your choices and the hidden value judgments that shape them. Learn how your identity plays a pivotal role in decision-making, influenced by social contexts. Dive into the ways understanding your brain's workings can foster personal growth and align your choices with your evolving goals. Gain insights into how our neurological makeup not only affects preferences but also opens the door to transformative changes in behavior.
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Brain's Dynamic Value System
- The brain's value system calculates the worth of choices based on past, present, and goals.
- This dynamic valuation shapes daily decisions, even unconsciously, affecting what options we consider and choose.
Identity Limits Our Choices
- Our brain links our identity closely with choice, favoring decisions reinforcing who we think we are.
- This often limits new experiences and hinders personal growth, creating a bounded self-concept.
Social Brain Shapes Decisions
- Social relevance brain systems strongly influence our decisions through perceived social status and belonging.
- Misjudging others' thoughts or feelings can mislead choices and reinforce false assumptions.