May 19, 2024 • 5 mins
Consensus doesn't necessarily maximize happiness.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:03):
Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning,
This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's
tip is for when you are making a decision with
family or friends, don't assume that consensus is best. Instead
(00:26):
of settling for the lowest common denominator, consider taking turns
choosing so that everybody gets their top choice. From time
to time, so many of us sometimes find ourselves needing
to make a collective decision about what everyone is going
to do. What's a movie that everyone can enjoy for
(00:50):
family movie night? Maybe you are trying to please your
active toddler, your elementary schooler who's into Pixar, your middle
schooler who's a diehard Harry Potter fan, your mother in
law who likes classic musicals, and your partner who just
wants everyone to stay put for the entire time. What
(01:11):
books should you read for book club next month? When
members have different tastes and different schedules. Where should you
go for your monthly girls' night out this month when
people are coming from different directions and have a variety
of tastes and budgets. We've all been in situations like
(01:31):
these where you may be able to reach a consensus
through collective decision making, but that process doesn't necessarily lead
to an option that everyone is thrilled with, even if
it is satisfactory to everyone. A lot of people have
a working assumption that consensus is the way to go,
(01:53):
but that may not always be the best way to
maximize happiness. Over time, you may find yourself at the
same inoffensive restaurant for every girl's Night and watching Mary
Poppins over and over again. So instead of aiming for
consensus every time, consider taking turns and letting everyone choose
(02:17):
exactly what they want. When it is their turn. You
choose the movie this week, your little guy the week
after that, then the elementary schooler, the middle schooler, your
mother in law, then your husband. Then it is your
turn again. Everybody will broaden their viewing experience, and you
may discover movies that you never would have tried otherwise.
(02:38):
For your book club, all the members could take turns
choosing the book At a small plates restaurant. If each
person orders the two or three dishes they are most
excited about, and then you share them all, it tends
to work out. Of course, you can set parameters for
these choices. Maybe all book Club picks need to be
(03:01):
under four hundred pages. Family movie night might be limited
to G or PG options. Restaurants for girls' night out
might need to fit within a certain budget per person.
But within these parameters, when it is your turn to choose,
you get to choose freely. The upside of this method
(03:24):
is that people tend to choose things that they think
are actually good when they get a free choice. Do
I think this movie is or will be amazing is
an entirely different question than do I think five people
with different interests won't all hate this movie? Amazing raises
(03:47):
the possibility of the choice being something really cool, even
if it isn't what you would have picked. Sometimes consensus
yields a decision that everyone can deal with, but no
one loves. When multiple options can be pursued over time,
taking turns can lead to more satisfaction. You know you
(04:11):
will be thrilled with the option every time your turn
rolls around, and something unexpected might delight you when it
is someone else's turn. In the meantime, this is Laura.
Thanks for listening, and here's to making the most of
(04:31):
our time. Hey, everybody, I'd love to hear from you.
You can send me your tips, your questions, or anything else.
Just connect with me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at
Before Breakfast Pod. That's b the number four then Breakfast pod.
(04:55):
You can also shoot me an email at Before Breakfast Podcasts.
At iHeartMedia that before Breakfast is spelled out with all
the letters. Thanks so much, should I look forward to
staying in touch. Before Breakfast is a production of iHeartRadio.
For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts,
(05:20):
or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.
Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning,
This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's
tip is for when you are making a decision with
family or friends, don't assume that consensus is best. Instead
(00:26):
of settling for the lowest common denominator, consider taking turns
choosing so that everybody gets their top choice. From time
to time, so many of us sometimes find ourselves needing
to make a collective decision about what everyone is going
to do. What's a movie that everyone can enjoy for
(00:50):
family movie night? Maybe you are trying to please your
active toddler, your elementary schooler who's into Pixar, your middle
schooler who's a diehard Harry Potter fan, your mother in
law who likes classic musicals, and your partner who just
wants everyone to stay put for the entire time. What
(01:11):
books should you read for book club next month? When
members have different tastes and different schedules. Where should you
go for your monthly girls' night out this month when
people are coming from different directions and have a variety
of tastes and budgets. We've all been in situations like
(01:31):
these where you may be able to reach a consensus
through collective decision making, but that process doesn't necessarily lead
to an option that everyone is thrilled with, even if
it is satisfactory to everyone. A lot of people have
a working assumption that consensus is the way to go,
(01:53):
but that may not always be the best way to
maximize happiness. Over time, you may find yourself at the
same inoffensive restaurant for every girl's Night and watching Mary
Poppins over and over again. So instead of aiming for
consensus every time, consider taking turns and letting everyone choose
(02:17):
exactly what they want. When it is their turn. You
choose the movie this week, your little guy the week
after that, then the elementary schooler, the middle schooler, your
mother in law, then your husband. Then it is your
turn again. Everybody will broaden their viewing experience, and you
may discover movies that you never would have tried otherwise.
(02:38):
For your book club, all the members could take turns
choosing the book At a small plates restaurant. If each
person orders the two or three dishes they are most
excited about, and then you share them all, it tends
to work out. Of course, you can set parameters for
these choices. Maybe all book Club picks need to be
(03:01):
under four hundred pages. Family movie night might be limited
to G or PG options. Restaurants for girls' night out
might need to fit within a certain budget per person.
But within these parameters, when it is your turn to choose,
you get to choose freely. The upside of this method
(03:24):
is that people tend to choose things that they think
are actually good when they get a free choice. Do
I think this movie is or will be amazing is
an entirely different question than do I think five people
with different interests won't all hate this movie? Amazing raises
(03:47):
the possibility of the choice being something really cool, even
if it isn't what you would have picked. Sometimes consensus
yields a decision that everyone can deal with, but no
one loves. When multiple options can be pursued over time,
taking turns can lead to more satisfaction. You know you
(04:11):
will be thrilled with the option every time your turn
rolls around, and something unexpected might delight you when it
is someone else's turn. In the meantime, this is Laura.
Thanks for listening, and here's to making the most of
(04:31):
our time. Hey, everybody, I'd love to hear from you.
You can send me your tips, your questions, or anything else.
Just connect with me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at
Before Breakfast Pod. That's b the number four then Breakfast pod.
(04:55):
You can also shoot me an email at Before Breakfast Podcasts.
At iHeartMedia that before Breakfast is spelled out with all
the letters. Thanks so much, should I look forward to
staying in touch. Before Breakfast is a production of iHeartRadio.
For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts,
(05:20):
or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.
Before Breakfast News
Host
Laura Vanderkam
Show Links
AboutPopular Podcasts
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
The Nikki Glaser Podcast
Every week comedian and infamous roaster Nikki Glaser provides a fun, fast-paced, and brutally honest look into current pop-culture and her own personal life.