According to author Dan Gates, decisionology is the analysis, study, discussion, and exampling of the decisions that may determine the direction of your life. We put so much emphasis on the decisions and choices that high-school students are making and

Decisionology

A Guiding Compass for High-School StudentsBy Daniel P. Gates

iUniverse, Inc.

Copyright © 2012 Daniel P. Gates
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4759-2896-9

Contents

Foreword........................................................ixAcknowledgments.................................................xiiiIntroduction....................................................xvA Life-Changing Decision........................................1Consequences of a Bad Decision..................................2Simple versus Complex Decisions.................................4Short-Term versus Long-Term Decisions...........................10Consequences....................................................13Personal-Growth Decisions.......................................19Risk versus Reward..............................................22The Prudent-Student Test........................................25Domino Decisions................................................27Decisions with Legal Consequences...............................30No Decision Is Still a Decision.................................31Some Decision Is Better Than No Decision........................32Emotional Decisions.............................................35The Feel-Good Decision Test.....................................39Time Is Your Ally...............................................42Being Decisive..................................................45The Smart Student's Decision Tool...............................47Moral Decisions.................................................49Personal Decisions..............................................52Religious Advisers..............................................54Financial Decisions.............................................56Research Tools..................................................58Decision Counselors and Good Friends............................60Artificial-Deadline Decisions...................................62Learn from Your Bad Decisions...................................63Decision Diary..................................................66Judgment Decisions and Judgment Calls...........................68Default Decisions...............................................70Responsible-Party Decisions.....................................73Safety Decisions: Safety First, Always..........................75Get It Right the First Time.....................................76Do-Overs Are Rarely an Option...................................79Decision Recess.................................................81Final-Decision Checklist........................................83Examples of Great Decisions.....................................85Conclusion: The Decisions Are Yours to Make.....................87Suggested Reading...............................................89About the Author................................................91Index...........................................................93

Chapter One

A Life-Changing Decision

I was sixteen years old, enjoying a gorgeous, hot summer day in the Big Hole Valley of Montana with three of my closest friends. We'd traveled to a local hot-spring swimming facility—a great place to have some fun and let off some steam. A lot of people were in the pool when we arrived, and we proceeded to have a good time, diving and playing with beach balls. I was in the shallow end, which was three or four feet deep, with a couple of my friends when one of my friends noticed something purple at the bottom of the pool, close to where we were standing. He asked us what we thought it was. We didn't have a clue, so he dove under the water. A few seconds later, he stood up with his arms outstretched, holding what looked like a three- or four-year-old boy, who was purple and definitely not breathing. Clearly, we believed, the boy had drowned; but we immediately decided that we should get help to see if he could be revived. Luck was on the little guy's side. The high-school basketball coach from Anaconda, where we all went to school, happened to be in the lobby, and he rushed to the boy's side and began efforts to resuscitate him. After what seemed like ten minutes of intensive effort, the coach was able to revive him—even today I think this was truly a miracle. This decision to go for help immediately illustrates how quickly a life can be changed forever in a very short time.

Consequences of a Bad Decision

Four high-school senior boys were enjoying their senior reception. After a short discussion, they decided to leave the reception and head to a nearby town where they could get served alcohol in a bar. After drinking for a couple of hours, they decided to drive to another nearby town, even though they were all clearly drunk. On their way home after three o'clock in the morning, the driver fell asleep at the wheel. He was going approximately seventy miles per hour and failed to make a left turn at an intersection. The vehicle went airborne and rolled several times; the car was totaled and three of the four boys were severely injured. Two of the injured boys were able to recover after extensive rehabilitation and medical assistance. One of the boys, who'd had a brilliant future in art ahead of him, incurred a devastating injury that completely prevented him from ever realizing his dreams. He was confined to a wheelchair for years and suffered significant physical disabilities that changed his life and the lives of his family members forever.

The decisions these boys made, which violated the law on several levels, were made without a lot of forethought regarding right or wrong or potential consequences. They were concerned only with having a good time, and they felt immune from getting caught or being involved in a horrendous accident.

The ability to make decisions is not only important but also essential in the life of every human being. Young people face decisions on a daily basis, from the very moment they become aware that more than one course of action is available.

Schools do a good job of teaching young people information, facts, skill sets, and much more. Our educators should be praised and honored for the job that they perform. Your teachers have provided you with the skills necessary to read, study, analyze, and pursue many of life's challenges. It is your job to utilize to the fullest all of the learning experiences and skills you have gained to make the very finest decisions possible. Your ability to make the best decisions no matter what challenges you face will be one of the primary factors determining your success or failure in life.

Simple versus Complex Decisions

Simple decisions are just that: simple. Some examples are to brush or not brush your teeth daily, or to do or not do your homework. In both examples, the decision is ultimately yours; but right away we see that even simple decisions can carry negative consequences if the right decision is not made. Simple decisions seem to require very little thought and are often made with almost no consideration of the consequences. But it is important to realize that even a simple decision can have significant consequences; never assume that a simple decision is not an important decision. Even though you can make a simple decision by deciding either yes or no, don't allow yourself to fall into a habit of thinking that simple decisions can't have negative end results that may very well affect your life—if not now, possibly at a later time. A good way to decide whether a simple decision is an important decision is to try to mentally list the decision's potential...