Logic vs. Emotion

Is it ever really possible to make decisions solely based on logic? I often wonder how dominant people's  emotions are in their decision making. I started to really ponder about how big of a part emotions play in the many alternatives we have to choose from every day, here are my findings:

When trying to make decisions logically I find that in almost every situation we try to exclude emotion all together. It is almost like we start to list the pros and cons of whatever situation we are in and begin to weigh out the options. Our goal is to be rational and ultimately make the correct decision. I think that when making decisions based on logic it is easier to start to doubt the decisions that we make (probably because our emotions keep messing with the process). This seems dumb to me because it is like the mathematical way of making a decision. We plug in every variable, consider each side and after processing every option, the answer comes out. It should be very clear, but why, sometimes, is it not that easy? Maybe if the only person involved in the outcome is you it is that easy, but what happens when other people that might be influenced or effected by your decision are inserted into the equation?

I believe that emotional decision-making is the most common type of decision-making. It is usually the fast type of decision-making that we use when we are in heated arguments or when we are faced with immediate danger. In the case of making decisions while arguing, doubt is usually replaced by regret (when time is given to think logically), which usually leads to an apology (in good situations).

Another type of emotional decision is based on love. This, I think, is the dangerous kind of decision-making. In every situation that I have been in where I have made a decision based on the emotion of love I have ended up in the same place I was before I made the initial decision: nowhere. I then turn to logic, which does me no good because of the doubt that I experience at the conclusion of that decision-making process. I am thus left dazed and confused, which leads to the scariest kind of decision-making, which is based on dubiety. The best thing to do is avoid emotional decision-making when your emotions are somehow attached to the outcome. When you really want something to happen, you start to rationalize in order to get that something. This is when you should use someone else's logic. Ask a friend.

I have found that every person makes decisions differently. When I told Zach that I was going to be writing about logic vs. emotion, he responded by saying "so, boys vs. girls?" I laughed really hard because for one, I didn't think of it that way, and two, it was funny. I don't necessarily think that boys think logically and girls think emotionally. In most cases it is probably true, but whether you are a boy or a girl, logic and emotion are both used in the important decisions that we make in our lives, like when we are trying to decide where to go for school, what we should be studying, what we are going to be doing as a career for the rest of our lives, who we should be dating, or even bigger, who we should be marrying. I have found that even though I try to make my decisions based on logic, my emotions always win in the end. I hope that doesn't make me girly.

Anyways, whenever you are in a situation where you cant possibly imagine making the wrong decision, never forget the ultimate solution is to pray. Alma said it right when he said "Counsel with the Lord in all thy doings, and he will direct thee for good." When making a decision based on prayer, you can't go wrong, I promise.