By Abhishek Prabal (Research scholar) – Human emotion and Economics
A person takes approximately 35,000 decisions in a day according to psychologists.
That number is insane, right? Not about the taking a huge decision it’s about taking a small listen like that what we are eating, when we are getting up. In Economics, we are taught that humans are “Rational Agents” that we calculate everything perfectly to get the best result. But let’s be real. If that were true, we’d all wake up at 5 AM, eat perfectly, and never skip the gym. But we don’t.Why? Because every decision is a link in a chain. When you wake up, what you eat, whether you move your body—one decision pushes the next one.
The ‘Spillover Effect’ of Smart Choices
Let’s look at our smart daily decisions, like going to the gym or choosing a healthy meal. It is not about doing it at a specific time like 6:00 AM; it is about the act itself. In Economics, we call this the Spillover Effect—when an event in one context changes a completely unrelated context. When you win that small battle—whether it’s lifting weights or refusing junk food—that discipline “spills over” into your work and studies. In Psychology, this is known as Priming. If you choose comfort and laziness, you “prime” your subconscious to be reactive for the rest of the day. But if you choose a smart action, you prime your brain to believe, “I am a person who gets things done.” So, these small choices aren’t just routine tasks; they set the algorithm for the other 34,999 decisions that follow.
The Brain Gets Tired: Bounded Rationality
In Economics, there’s a concept called Bounded Rationality. It basically means that even though we want to be logical, our brains have limits. We simply can’t process 35,000 choices perfectly.
Add in what psychologists call Decision Fatigue, and it explains why our “rationality” falls apart as the day goes on. By evening, we stop acting like logical humans and start acting on impulse.If you stood still right now and looked at your life—whether it’s good or bad—you’d realize that your choices are the only reason you are standing here.
The Butterfly Effect & The Cost of “Just 5 Minutes
It’s not the big life-changing decisions that matter most; it’s the boring, daily routine ones.We all know the Butterfly Effect from Chaos Theory: if a butterfly flaps its wings in America, it can eventually cause a storm in India.
Why We Choose Wrong: Dual Process Theory
There is a constant struggle to make good choices because our emotions get in the way.In Economics, we call this Hyperbolic Discounting. It’s a fancy way of saying we value a small reward right now
(sleeping in, tasty junk food) way more than a huge reward later (health, a great career).
Our subconscious mind loves the “now.” It is influenced by our daily moods and emotional “patch-ups.” So, there is a high chance we make the wrong decision because we are chasing that immediate feeling instead of the future result.
We have two systems:
- System 1: The Subconscious (Fast, Emotional)
- System 2: The Conscious (Slow, Logical)
Emotional bias lives in our subconscious mind (System 1). We know that our subconscious mind is influenced by our daily routines and our daily emotional “patch-ups.” So, there are high chances that we take a wrong decision because we are emotionally biased while taking it, rather than using our logical System 2.
The Solution: The 10-10-10 Rule
I have read a book where they mention the 10-10-10 Rule (by Suzy Welch). It helps you bypass that emotional bias. It means just stay in the current moment and think:
- How will I feel about this decision in 10 Minutes?
- Will I regret or enjoy this decision in 10 Days?
- Where will I be 10 Years after taking this decision?
Every decision in your life, like the time of your morning routine, influences everything about where you will be in the next 10 years. This is known as The Compound Effect. This theory suggests that huge life changes result from small, smart choices compounded over time. That is how waking up early and avoiding bad foods impacts your whole life—it’s not one day, it’s the compound interest of habits.
My Story: From UPSC to Research Scholar
I am reminding myself that 7 years ago, I took a decision that influenced my whole life.
It turned my life from a UPSC aspirant to a Research Scholar. It was just a small decision. I didn’t like a subject like Economics in my BA 1st year; I just randomly took Economics to fill up my subject combination. I didn’t take time to decide wisely.
But what happened? I am doing research in Economics now.
The Final Trap: Post-Rationalization
I think that we are taking very good decisions and we are thinking about them for 10 days, but often it’s not your current mind deciding. It’s your subconscious mind which has already taken the decision.
In psychology, this is called Post-Rationalization. Your brain decides emotionally first, and then uses logic just to justify it. You are just proving that what your subconscious mind has already decided is right.
There are many decisions in my current life I have taken by my emotions. But understanding this—that the small choices create the storm—is the first step to taking control back.
By Abhishek Prabal
