Chapter 3. Conviction

Making difficult decisions is not just about the straightforward weighing up of facts. However good the information and analysis may seem there is something else going on in our minds when a decision needs to be taken. We bring to any decision a starting perspective, an intuition or a gut feeling. Sometimes this provides insights and enables us to interpret facts in a constructive way. Sometimes it means we bring the baggage of previous experience and an emotional perspective that is blinkered.

A key issue is how we use that sense of conviction in a constructive way. How do we recognise when it is a plus and when it is in danger of sending us down a blind alley? Conviction can be criticised as non-objective, prejudice or a ...

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