What you say makes a lot of sense, Systems people might term the reaction you mention as a reinforcing loop, which can be negative or positive. Think of it as a spiral. Clearly much of the last for years has been an example of a negative reinforcing loop and of what you mention–don’t discount the possibility of doing something different. Now in the midst of this economic mess they seem to making the same mistakes. Remember those rebate checks we got way back when? Those were supposed to bail us ordinary folks out, but who got the big “rebate” checks? So we are still practicing top-down economics when it is what got us into this mess.

Keep commenting.

How we make decisions is such a broad topic — I guess I’d have to say that one thing I’ve learned from the book (because you never agree with everything) is that don’t discount a possibility just because it sounds too “different,” or outside the realm of what you’ve done before. There’s the saying: if you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve always gotten.” (I actually used that quote/mantra when doing Weight Watchers 3 years ago — but really, it’s a good thought.) So, Randy Wysong advocates broadening your thinking, don’t dismiss ideas out of hand, consider the unexpected or different. And then all those things can help you make different decisions, or at least think about your decisions in a new way.

I hope that makes sense to you.