You Are What You Decide

How to make better decisions.

by James Stein, Ph.D.

The Calculus of Caution

The great American humorist Mark Twain certainly spoke for me when he said, "The human race is a race of cowards; and I am not only marching in that procession, but carrying a banner." He certainly spoke for me - and for billions of others. Read More

Balancing Love and Career

All your life you have been a brilliant student, and at the age of 25, you have acquired what every parent wants for their son: a medical degree. You have spent over a year doing research, and have just published a paper which establishes your reputation as a researcher. Your scientific future looks bright. Read More

Meyer's Law

One of my favorite writers was John D. Read More

Do We Make Decisions, or Do Our Decisions Make Us?

I met Dick at a party some two decades ago, and we became fast friends, motivated in part by the fact that we are both tennis addicts. We play several times a week, and often discuss tennis - and other matters. Read More

The Mouths of Babes

There is a saying to that out of the mouths of babes comes wisdom. I'm not sure about that, but children are well aware of a couple of the most important principles of decision theory - at least on an intuitive and practical level. Read More

Be Open to Failure

One of the more pernicious misconceptions is that the chances of success are increased if one never considers the possibility of failure. This theme often surfaces in an interview with an individual who has achieved something that is extremely unlikely, such as throwing the winning touchdown pass in the Super Bowl or becoming the next American Idol. Read More

Keep Your Eye on the Ball!!!

Here's your opportunity to test your decision-making skills with a history-making decision that helped determine why you're reading this blog in English rather than in German. Read More