Ralph L. Keeney

“There are many important decisions where you may be tempted to select the first possible solution. In all of these, some effort spent creating alternatives that provide a nudge for your decision will likely be a wise investment. Examples include purchasing a car or a condominium, finding a new primary physician or a specialist, choosing a firm that will manage some aspects of your small company (e.g., taxes, payroll), or selecting an individual as the main contractor to build or remodel your house.”
― Ralph L. Keeney, Give Yourself a Nudge: Helping Smart People Make Smarter Personal and Business Decisions

“For important decisions that you are facing for the first time, it is often useful to talk to others who have faced the same or a similar decision in the past. Examples include deciding about taking a stint in the main corporate office, as discussed above; how to report suspected illegal activity in your company to management; selecting a spouse or a partner for life; dealing with an important aspect of raising a child; and planning care and help for an elderly parent or relative. For almost all decisions such as these, there are many individuals who have faced that decision before you. Their experiences of thinking about and choosing alternatives and living through the consequences of those alternatives are an excellent source to stimulate your thoughts and uncover values relevant to your decision.”
― Ralph L. Keeney, Give Yourself a Nudge: Helping Smart People Make Smarter Personal and Business Decisions