Abstract
Dan Gibert, a Harvard psychologist, presented a compelling and educational observation on why we make bad decisions. Gibert’s (2008) Ted Talks video titled “Why We Make Bad Decisions” takes a closer look at Bernoulli’s Equation. In Gibert’s perspective it is a gift to always make the correct decision. According to Gibert (2008) one of the reasons that people make bad decisions is due to errors in estimating the odds they are going to succeed. “Protected Values” are those decisions that is imbedded in ones core. It’s critical to take into consideration Gibert’s (2008) suggestion that we make subconscious or manipulated bad decisions and to analyze our protected values to make sure they are influencing our decisions in ways we would correspond with.
Protected Values in Decision Making
Hoch & Kunreuther, (2001) define “Protected Values” as those that resist tradeoffs with other values, particularly economic values. My three protected values are: non-modified organic foods, the pro-life perspective, and Universal Health Care. I choose these protected values because these are topics I feel strongly about and will not tradeoff for other values and beliefs. Dan Gilbert suggests in his video “Why We Make Bad Decisions” how we as humans rationalize information and in turn make a decision off of what we know. The issue is that is human nature to still make bad decisions even after we know what we do and it is because we find it hard to estimate values and odds on certain issues.
Protected Values
My first protected value is giving my family non-modified organic foods. A genetically engineered (GE) animal is one that contains additional or altered genetic material (e.g., recombinant DNA (rDNA)) through use of modern biotechnology tools that’s intended to give the animal a new trait or characteristic. I feel that cloning or reengineering of animals was an example of playing God and this goes against my beliefs. Some of the cons of this values include: animals can be engineered so their tissues, organs, and cells can be transplanted into humans, animals can be engineered to reproduce much faster, and animals can be engineered to require less food, grow quicker, and leave behind less waste. These are all seemingly beneficial, yet because of my belief that genetically modifying the animal causes repercussions we are not yet fully aware of, these benefits go unsupported. The pro’s of this value is: It is unethical, some animals die in experiments while other are born deformed or huge and some consumers are complaining that the animal drug rules do not regulate genetically modified animals properly. There are other studies that show how GMO’s from plants can have hazardous effects on health, so it is presumed that genetically modified animal meat will have the same effect. Before researching this topic I would not waiver on this value and would stick to my mindset. The more researched I did; however, the more my opinion started to change. I realize the benefits of a genetically engineered animal and how it could help the fight for hunger in the world. This excise helped me see this value through different perspective and see the importance of the decision we make when it comes to genetically engineer animals. While my value in this area has not fully shifted, I am not as set as I once was.
My second protected value is a pro-life perspective. First and foremost I must say I’m pro-life and will not change in this value. However, during this exercise I was able to look at the pros and cons of the belief of abortion. We will start of with the pros: Abortion is a safe medical procedure; medical emergencies compel a woman to resort to this action, there is a possibility that her own life might be at risk if she delivers the child. Also, some of the rape victims are minors, and they wouldn’t be mentally or physically prepared to take care of the newborn baby. The cons to abortion are: It carries the risk of not being able to become pregnant ever again in life; It involves participating in the act of taking a human life; It can potentially lead to serious health complications, and in some cases the worst case scenario can be death. I’m strongly against abortion and ever faced with making this decision I would always advise saving the life with the same conviction of saving a small child or middle aged person’s life.
The third protected value is having Universal Health Care. Health care is something that being in the military I don’t have to worry about. My family is taken care of no matter where we are and no matter the price for the procedure. Having this type of plan is something that is dear to my heart and I believe it to be of a benefit for the Nation. Some of the pros of this value are: It gives people that can’t afford health care the services they need, and citizens can get free treatments for basic conditions without the fear of not being able to afford them. The cons of this belief are: Universal health care eliminates the free market for health care where prices may be lower and those with higher incomes may complain that their money is going to pay for the health care of other citizens when it should be going to pay for their own health care. Currently there are many tradeoffs to this belief, for example, Obama Care. I don’t think we are quite there yet but one can see how having more options in the health industry can persuade my decision to one that is more achievable.
In conclusion, the Wharton text suggests, “by accepting that protected values are not always as protected as people think, one can probe more thoroughly to determine how these values might be traded off” (Hoch, Kunreuther, & Gunther, 2001, p. 257). I’ve learned a lot from this exercise and have acknowledged that reasonable people make bad decisions (Gibert, 2008). Knowing when to compromise, when to research, and when to set boundaries is what influences my future decision-making.
Reference:
Hoch, S. J., & Kunreuther, H. C. (2005). Wharton on making decisions. (1st edition.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons Inc.
Why we make bad decisions. (2005, July 1). Retrieved September 10, 2015, from http://www.ted.com/talks/dan_gilbert_researches_happiness
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