Settle down and concentrate on this one…..Pascal’s Wager was about whether or not there is a God. If you wager against there being a God and there IS a God, that is bad news for you, so you should wager for there being a God. Pascal believed that religious belief was not a rational, but rather an existential choice, i.e. a choice you make in the face of uncertainty. So how do we make the right choice if we aren’t basing it on a betting outcome?
We have talked about uncertainty before and one of the things that comes up a lot in building the ability to make choices in an uncertain world, is to think about two things;
- Firstly, do you HAVE to make that decision at that particular time? Sometimes we get hung up on making choices and decisions, when what we might need is a little time to step away from the decision making process, clear some mental space and let the ideas and emotions free reign, leading to those moments of enlightenment that help us make the right choices.
- Secondly, it is okay to change what you are doing if things don’t feel right or go the way you intended. Someone mentioned that one of the reasons Angela Merkel keeps being re-elected is that she is not rigid in her political life. She is very determined, but she also tries to see things from different perspectives (even her opponent’s standpoint) and be collaborative and she is not afraid to change the way she does things if it will help her achieve her objectives.
If you want a gently challenging hand in making your choices or checking the odds get in touch and we’ll help you lay your bets.
Posted by Isla Baliszewska 16 March 2015