Descartes' square as a decision-making technique
The current century is a century of high technologies, ultra-modern developments and a frantic pace of life. Every day life brings us face to face with the need to solve a huge number of problems, for which we have to constantly reflect on what choice should be made in each individual situation. And thinking about which way to go, we all use some of our skills, methods and techniques for making decisions, which are based mainly on our life experience, opinions, positions, views, points of view. But are our ways of making decisions always good and effective? It is safe to say that not always.
The decision-making technique we'll talk about in this article is not magic, but it's so adaptable and easy to use that it is considered perhaps one of the best available today. It is called the "Descartes Square".
To avoid unnecessary questions, it should be said that the author of this technique is Rene Descartes - a French philosopher, physiologist, physicist, mechanic, mathematician, as well as the founder of algebraic symbolism and analytical geometry and the author of the philosophical method of radical doubt.
Descartes square
Descartes' square is an extremely simple decision making technique that requires very little time to use. With the help of Descartes' Square, it is easy to establish the most significant selection criteria, as well as to assess the consequences of any option of the decision made.
If you look at the life of an ordinary person, you can see that when he finds himself in a situation where it is necessary to make decisions, he, as a rule, concentrates on one or two of his features, thereby driving himself into a kind of dead end in which other significant Criterias of choice. In addition, the standard thinking of a person contributes to the fact that he asks himself only one question: "What will happen if this happens?" But in practice, it has already been proven hundreds of times that, first of all, it is necessary first to think thoroughly and only after that to perform the action. And the Descartes Square is just designed to think at first, but not just go over several options in your head, but write everything on paper,
As an example, the following situation can be cited: you want to change your occupation (get a new job, start your own business, go freelance, etc.), but you just cannot get rid of doubts about this. You, of course, see all the advantages and benefits of a new type of activity, but you do not know what it is to do something that you have not done yet, and, accordingly, hesitate in making a decision. So: using Descartes' Square, you can look at the current situation from four different sides (we will continue to consider this example a little later).
How to use Descartes' Square?
To use Descartes' Square, you need a piece of paper, a pen, or a pencil. Once these tools are ready, you can start working with Square, which involves answering four basic questions. These four questions can be figuratively presented as four points of observation of the problem, from which you can look at the problem from different angles and get the most objective idea about it. And one more thing: it is very important to give as many answers as possible to each of the four questions, because this will allow you to consider as many features of the problem as possible.
We ask ourselves four questions sequentially and answer them as follows: For a visual examination of the principle of operation of the Descartes Square, let's take the same example with a change in the type of activity that we considered above.
What happens if this happens?
This question involves looking for the benefits of getting what you want. The word "this" should mean the implementation of the decision. The first question is the most obvious and for this reason it is very important to find as many answers as possible, ie don't dwell on what comes to mind first. The answers to this question will motivate you to make a decision.
What happens if it does NOT happen?
This question involves looking for the benefits of not getting what you want. In other words, the answers to the second question will show you what happens if you refuse to implement your decision and everything remains the same as it was before. As you answer, write down any advantages of the present state of affairs that you would not like to lose.
What will NOT happen if it does?
This question implies a search for cons of getting what you want. Simply put, the answers to the third question will represent the price you will have to pay to implement the decision you make.
What does NOT happen if it does NOT happen?
This question implies a search for cons of not getting what you want. Answering the fourth question, you cut off the remaining "not" that hinder the implementation of the decision. At this stage, it is recommended that you respond as quickly as possible, relying on intuition.
In fact, Descartes's Square can be applied not only to the field of professional activity, but also to any other area of life. But it is important to understand once and for all that all your answers need to be written down, and not answered mentally. Firstly, you can simply get confused in your answers, and secondly, the subconscious of a person works in such a way that it ignores the "NOT" particle, which is why there is a high probability of making mistakes. Therefore, be sure to use a piece of paper and a pen, you can even print the Square in a large format, and answer each of the questions in the corresponding sector. And the very process of writing down the answers will, as it were, convert mental arguments and fantasies into a logical literal form, which will provide you with significant assistance in making a decision.
