Air-Wareness

 Considering Every Perspective

Hypothesis: Is it important to examine all angles of a situation when decision-making?

          Decision-making is a conflict that everybody deals with almost everyday of their lives.  The struggle of right and wrong, good and bad, how to, which way? -- Many questions overflow the mind on a daily basis; but how do you answer them? Does the answer immediately roll off your tongue, or do you take time to figure out the "right" choice?  Is there a consequence for the "wrong" choice?  Is there a reward for choosing one path over another? Do you really have a choice at all? There are many factors that typically play a role when attempting to make a decision.

          I don't believe that there is one correct answer to this question.  I believe it differs with the individual, and of course the circumstance. If there is an important choice to be made, I think that one would naturally take more time to reach a decision; that is if the situation wasn't life-threatening, dependent on time (i.e, car accidents, shootings etc). Based on my research, I found that there is a process in which the brain goes through.  A various number of factors may influence your choice, and when making a decision on the spot, the steps might get overlooked or blurred.   There are psychological factors, environmental influences, group influences and the marketing factor.  Once one expands his/her horizon, and becomes mentally aware of the situation at hand, clarity becomes in close reach.  Awareness is the key to making a great decision. 



          Is it important to examine all angles before making a decision? For a great decision, a memorable one, yes. Would you ever consider taking a ride in a Hot-Air balloon? I know that there was a time when I wouldn't. There are many parts of this experience that many individuals are unaware of; instinctual factors that may have them jump to a conclusion, possibly pushing them away. My first thought, as many might agree, "Why would I ever want to be cramped in a basket, up in the air with no way out?" I thought I'd feel trapped and anxious; however, there are others that may look at it as adventurous and beautiful, as a free bird overlooking the world.  These were the psychological factors holding me back. My family was my group influence, pushing me to try something new. I was stuck in-between decisions, Should I? or Should I not? Am I afraid of heights? Can I overcome my fears? But once I took myself out of  the situation and acted as a bystander, I found it easier to decide what I wanted to do.  Close up, the balloon was bigger than I've ever imagined. There were many parts of the balloon experience that I've never considered.  The inside was so aesthetically pleasing; I felt as if I was standing in a tunnel, solely wanting to get to the sun on the other side. Once the fire was lit, the balloon began to fill with air; my eagerness rose with the balloon. I watched as the staff tinkered with the propane tanks, many strings and making sure that every individual had an experience that was safe and satisfying  -- I was intrigued. The environmental factors and marketing influence pushed my pros list to rise high above the cons.

          Six of us had climbed up and over into the basket, and patiently waited to take off.  As we had risen above the ground, the sight of all the other balloons was unbelievable, like nothing I've ever seen before.  The fear had escaped me as we were gliding through the air, and I was filled with an astonishing feeling of warmth and confidence.  Residents waved from the houses below, and we got to see the world from a new perspective.  It was much different than flying in an airplane, for the mere reason that we weren't looking through a window and that we could feel the breeze

          On the way back down, we went through a rough patch. We bumped up, then down through trees and branches, avoiding wires.  We landed in a front lawn; families came out, surrounding us and helped us out of the balloon.  It was truly a great experience, and I wouldn't have had the chance to share it if I had made a half-fast decision, without taking all factors into consideration. I am sure that many others have had similar experiences, making an unforgettable decision.  Decisions mold your life, and  life is what you make out of it.

"Common sense is not so common"

         "Common sense is not so common."  Human behavior cannot be solely understood by intuition and common sense.  They are just mere factors in the overall study of how one thinks, feels and acts.  Intuition and common sense are two abilities that intertwine; With intuit comes common sense, and with common sense comes intuition.  They are instinctual feelings that override the need for conscious reasoning -- so one might think.  A scientific method that studies human behavior digs beneath one's unconscious thoughts and gives one solid reasoning as to the whys and hows of the behavioral and mental processes of humans.  I believe that all three play a role in the full understanding of human behavior; however, that a scientific approach would have a larger impact on the results.  I take it as the one's intuition comes into play when making an abrupt decision; one that requires no time to think.  Such examples would include: dodging a speeding car, protecting your loved ones and shielding your face when an object in being thrown towards you.  I think that intuition is when your emotions take over your mind.
         Common sense is a phrase that has been thrown at everybody at least a few times in their life.  Individuals fail to realize that, what one believes is common knowledge may not actually be common to the next person. Ones "common knowledge" is a compilation of what they've repeatedly experienced in their lives; experiences that have become "normal" to them.  Not knowingly, people assume that the world is a controlled environment; that everybody has the same standard of living, the same encounters, the same thoughts etc., but what people don't consider is, that things that come naturally to them has all to do with their surroundings and the way that they live each day.  A large, low income family that needs everybody in the household to contribute even a little but (Babysitting, chores, working..) may think it is common knowledge to know how to scrub a toilet, do laundry and change a diaper.  A busy, high income family with one child and a nanny may know the ins and outs of a business, but won't have a clue about the "common knowledge" that is held with the opposing family.
          A Scientific method approach to human behavior encompasses people's actions, emotions, perceptions and thought.  Non-biased studies are done to prove the findings and the reasonings behind them.  When emotions are overlooked and one can step outside of the situation to look in as a bystander, one can realize that their instinctual feelings will be challenged.  A scientific approach questions intuit and common sense.  For example, in studies such as "Doll Test" and "Shopping While Black" they test out hypotheses on different groups of people to see if their reactions and perceptions are the same,  In "Doll Test", children of different ethnicities were all asked to choose the good doll, bad doll, pretty doll and ugly doll.  Most children chose the white doll as the good, pretty doll and the dark-skinned doll as ugly and bad.  Each child has a different perception of the doll.  It might be because of what they were taught at home, what they see in the public eye or how they view themselves.  It seemed as if the children that were neither black, nor while had a more difficult time attempting to label the dolls, as they were caught in-between, just as in reality.
          Every individual has a different emotional make-up due to nature and nurture.  It would be inaccurate to say that one could fully understand human behavior sufficiently based solely on intuition and common sense.

"Rabbit or Duck"

      Perception plays a major role in everyday life.  It determines the choices that one makes.  Not only does it let you paint your very own picture of the world, but it is the determining factor of daily choices you make; whether consciously aware of it or struggling for an answer.
      "Rabbit or Duck" is a well known illusion, much like the image we saw in class of the old lady that doubles as a young lady.  It is a picture, where you can see both a duck and rabbit, depending on your perception.

     The comedy TV series, "How I Met You Mother" has an episode titled, "Rabbit or Duck".   The episode portrays how perception and interpretation can be applied to everyday life.  Something as basic as dating, can be as simple, or as complex as you make it.  You might have predetermined thoughts about people or things based on prior experience, and from that, you can subconsciously "judge";however, there may be a whole other side that you are not accounting for.  It emphasizes the very fine line between love and hate.
     In this episode, they apply perception to dating and how people can look at others in a completely different matter, and how your perception can change, once exposed to the "otherside"
     They categorize people as being a "duck" or "rabbit", from the gecko each person has a different opinion as whether the duck or rabbit is more preferable. Then when applying them to people, it becomes even more complex, especially when somebody you thought of as a "rabbit" all along, turns out to be a "duck".