Are We Really in Control of Our Own Decisions?

“If you ever go bar hopping, who do you want to take with you? You want a slightly uglier version of yourself. Similar … but slightly uglier.” -Dan Ariely

That statement definitely falls under the heading of "If I only knew then what I know now". I hung out with the pretty girls in my high school. Most of my friends were the homecoming and prom queens. When we would go somewhere out for the night, I did not stand a chance. Dan Ariely in a video on TED Talks discusses how the mind can play tricks on you when objects or colors are next to each other. Look at the first picture and decide which table is longer.


Dan Ariely asks, Are we in control of our own decisions?

The red lines measure both tables.

And when the lines are put together we see that they are exactly the same length.

So if I stand next to a similar, but slightly uglier version of myself, I will appear more attractive than I really am. Does this all really matter? Yes it does! Manufacturers, politicians,spin doctors, advertising agencies all have a good understanding of how to manipulate our perceptions. If we do not understand ourselves and our cognitive limitations, we will be at the mercy of forces outside of ourselves and will not be in control of our own decisions