Taylor Kingston wrote:

snip

Well there is a difference in the way we are looking at this. I am
talking about the choices that an individual is able to come up with
and evaluate. You appear to be talking about the objective best
choices which I admit could be different often. The objective best
choice may not be apparent to one and thus cannot be selected.

Indeed. On the chess board, I can't tell you how many times post-
mortem analysis has shown that the objectively best move did not even
occur to me, let alone get rejected for various faulty reasons. No
doubt in life as well.

So given a set of choices that one is able to come up, I submit it
will generally be better to chose the one perceived as best rather
than the one perceived as second best....

Dangerously close to tautology, perhaps. But essentially I must
agree.


snip

Dear Mr. Kingston,

It appears that we have arrived at some level of agreement on what we
are discussing. Let me take a few steps beyond that and say that the
continual process of trying to do the right thing as we have described
it, can help a person refine their good judgment with the effect of
allowing them to perceive a greater number of possible good choices in
future encounters with similar circumstances. Perhaps they have a
better chance of identifying that illusive "best choice" of the
objective view. I think of this as developing intuition to aid in
decision making. That may not be precise, but it works for me.

I also suggest that someone who makes of habit of doubting their good
judgment and casting about in a more random fashion in selecting choices
loses confidence in their abilities and suffers from a diminished
perception of possible good choices.

An unscrupulous chess hustler recognizing this can demonstrably enfeeble
weaker opposition by ridiculing their moves and berating them. Of
course the wise hustler will compliment them on their great improvement
as they pay off and go out the door so that the patzer will return to be
milked again... shrugs

--


Cheers,
Rev. J.D. Walker, U.C.

'Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil.'
-- (Exodus 23:2)
'It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick
society.'
-- Jiddu Krishnamurti