Have you ever made a decision that felt brilliant at the moment and regretted it in hindsight?
To avoid this, make better decisions in the future and get better at shifting your perspective.
The Science
Your brain is built for efficiency. It relies on shortcuts to conserve energy – filtering the world through your own experiences, assumptions, and beliefs. This default mode helps you simplify complexity and make quick decisions. But it also comes with a cost: a narrow perspective that can distort reality and lead to bias.
Shifting one’s ‘perceptual position’- a concept from cognitive psychology that helps us step outside of ourselves and gain fresh insights—is the key to managing these biases and improving decision-making.
Shifting your perspective activates your dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) – brain regions involved in rational thinking and executive control.
Shifting your perspective helps your brain detect cognitive conflicts, override biases, reduce impulsive decision-making, and improve overall judgment.
How to Apply This
The next time you face a tough decision, ask yourself:
First Position: What do I think and feel about this decision? What’s my instinct?
Second Position: If I were a specific colleague, team member, or friend, how would I see this? What would be my concerns?
Third Position: What would I say if I were an outsider looking in or advising someone else? What patterns or blind spots might I notice?
Another way to shift your perspective is through time. Projecting forward helps override present-moment emotional biases. Your brain creates a more balanced evaluation, helping you make decisions that align with your long-term goals.
To Gain Perspective Here, Ask Yourself:
First Time Frame: How will this decision feel tomorrow?
Second Time Frame: How will I feel about it a month from now?
Third Time Frame: Will I still stand by this decision a year from now?
Master Your Decision Making Brain
The real key lies in using your brain like a tool – putting it into alternative modes of thinking and oscillating between different brain networks.
These techniques take little time, but they can transform your decision-making — and problem-solving.
What’s Your Perspective?
