Then there are the other things which come and go in a flash; love and loss, joy and ecstasy can seem eternal but are most oftentimes fleeting in a second or a longer collection of seconds.

Decisions and commitment are very often things which occur within a second.  To ‘do’ or not to ‘do’.  To say ‘yes’ or ‘no’.  Choices are taken, either consciously or not, in a second; some of which can create consequences which last for a lifetime or affect countless lives.

Scientific experiments related to cognitive bias have highlighted the difference between the slow logical part of the brain, which weighs up pros and cons in a balanced way, and the much faster part of the brain, which allows us to make snap decisions without being aware of the thought process, the auto-pilot part of the brain.

It’s this fast part of the brain, the bit we are not conscious of, which tends to make judgements.  Do we like something? Will be do something?

Two great brains started looking at this snappy part of the brain. Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky started to look at brains biases,  They postulated that are all sorts of things where we are ‘hard wired’ to decide or feel something before being aware of our thought process and moreover, if questioned ‘why we like or feel something’ and ‘for what reason’, the slow part of our brain will ‘makeup’ or ‘concoct’ the reason.  It will create a logical path which supports our ‘first reaction’, our gut reaction to tastes and choices.

Kahneman and Tversky’s research challenged the prevailing assumption of human rationality in decision-making processes. Their work demonstrated that individuals often rely on mental shortcuts and systematic biases when making choices, leading to predictable patterns of behavior. Their studies had a profound impact on various disciplines, including psychology, economics, and finance, and laid the foundation for the field of behavioral economics.

What’s interesting to me is the ‘present bias’.  It’s the part of the psyche which causes us to pay attention to the present without much care for the future.

In Thailand, where I live now, this approach to life is positively encouraged. Due, at least in part, to the Buddhist faith. Maybe also influenced by substistance living, poverty and hardship being for many a present consideration or at least within living memory of older members of most families. Here a swift decision is made, and behaviour follows – very often neither hanging onto nor damning the consequences; it is not thought about.  How often have I heard the words “you think too much”.when I ask a question such as “What if…?”

This can at times seem at counterpoint to the Christian perspective. Christianity places a significant emphasis on the eternal perspective. Christians are encouraged to focus not only on the present life but also on the hope of eternal life with God; not only on the present, but on cesequence in the future.

This perspective helps believers prioritize their actions and values in light of eternity.