Conclusion
The overarching message of this primer is that there are invisible instincts and defaults that conspire against good judgment. When you revert to these defaults, you engage in a game you can't win. You might accomplish your immediate goal, but you fail to realize that you've made it harder to achieve your ultimate goals. All of this happens without consciously being aware you are exercising judgment in the first place.
Good judgment is expensive, but poor judgment will cost you a fortune.
Most books about thinking focus only on being more rational, missing the fundamental problem: Most errors in judgment happen when we don't know we're supposed to be exercising judgment. The key to getting what you want out of life is to identify how the world works and to align yourself with it.
Avoiding responsibility is a recipe for misery, and the opposite of what it takes to cultivate good judgment. Improving your judgment is less about accumulating tools to enhance your rationality and more about implementing safeguards that make the desired path the path of least resistance. It's about designing systems when you're at your best that work for you when you're at your worst.
Managing your defaults requires more than willpower. Defaults operate at our subconscious level, so overriding them requires harnessing equally powerful forces that pull your subconscious in the right direction: habits, rules, and environment. Overriding your defaults requires implementing safeguards that render the invisible visible and that prevent you from acting too soon. And it requires cultivating mental strengths like accountability, knowledge, discipline, and confidence that put you on the right track and keep you there.
The small improvements you make in judgment won't be felt until they are too large to ignore. Gradually, as the improvements accumulate, you will notice that less of your time is spent fixing problems that shouldn't exist in the first place.
Good judgment can't be taught, but it can be learned. By identifying your weaknesses, implementing the right safeguards, and cultivating mental strengths, you can break free from the grip of your defaults and make decisions that consistently move you towards your deepest goals and values. It's a journey, but one that pays immense dividends in all areas of life.
As you continue down this path, remember the wise words of Marcus Aurelius: "When you are distressed by an external thing, it's not the thing itself that troubles you, but only your judgment of it. And you can wipe this out at a moment's notice." With clear thinking and good judgment, you can take command of your life and shape the future you truly desire.