Navigating Through Moral Dilemmas and Roadblocks to Decision Making

Abstract

When faced with a difficult decision, one often wades through the quagmire of indecision first. The purpose of this chapter is to analyze steps to take to explore concrete variables that contribute to positive and conclusive solutions to the decision process. Various contributors to making a decision, explored in the chapter include but are not limited to 1) one's values, 2) one's core beliefs, 3) events in one's life experiences, 4) one's cultural lens, and 5) position in the family. But indecision can be worse than not making difficult decision. What causes procrastination in some individuals when making a decision? The chapter also explores roadblocks to decision making: the action required to move in one direction or the other. Feeling the fear and moving forward anyway can paralyze persons so the chapter presents ways to ameliorate the fear of making a “bad” decision.

Key Terms in this Chapter

Cultural Lens: A myopic view of how one perceives their environment based on knowledge, values, attitudes, and tradition of the group with which one most identifies.

Change: The opposite of static whereby events, ideas, processes transform, morph into different artifacts.

Ethics: Possessing the ability to act in a moral manner.

Leadership: A process by which and individual, or individuals, guide one or more persons to a common goal using influence, models, and/or charisma.

Roadblock: An obstacle which impedes one from moving forward.

Decision: The ability to come to a conclusion about an issue or problem.

Indecision: The incapability of coming to a conclusion about a specific problem or issue.

Values: Things which are highly regarded or prized.