Decide and Conquer: The Ultimate Guide for Improving Your Decision Making, Second Edition

5. Are You a Risk-Taker?

For each of the following situations, indicate the minimum odds of success you would demand before recommending that one alternative be chosen over another. Try to place yourself in the position of the central person in each of the situations.¹

1. Ben, a 45-year-old accountant, has recently been informed by his physician that he has developed a severe heart ailment. The disease would be sufficiently serious to force Ben to change many of his strongest life habits—reducing his workload, drastically changing his diet, and giving up favorite leisure-time pursuits. The physician suggests that a delicate medical operation could be attempted, which, if successful, would completely relieve the heart condition. But its success ...