Use The ‘Embarrassment Test’ To Help Make Difficult Decisions


Nobody likes making a difficult decision. If you’re really struggling between choices, blogger Eric Koester suggests using what he calls the “embarrassment test” to help guide you along the right path.

Photo by David Bleasdale.

The idea is to imagine the conversation you would have defending your decision, and then thinking about if you would be embarrassed defending it. Koester explains:

I like to use the Embarrassment Test. When you are making a decision that is a toughie or just could go either way, I think the best course of action is to gather up all the facts and rationales for your decision, and imagine a conversation with someone you trust… In that imaginary conversation, dump that pile of information onto your confidant and then ask yourself the following question:

“Would I be embarrassed to offer them this rationale for my decision?”

This technique effectively tests your gut. You might realise you’re more confident in your decision than you thought, or you might find that you need to do more research because your rationale doesn’t hold up.

The Embarrassment Test [Growing on Trees]


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