Human Nature and Decision Making

 Greetings....

Yes, this writer agrees that the most challenging action to do is tell the truth for most humans. However, in this writer's experience, that is the essence of human nature, and it probably will not change unless people are willing to accept the consequences or rewards of honesty. Bandura (2006) relates that most people are moral agents, which is rooted in personal standards of human behavior and is guided by an individual's "cognitive foundation of morality" (Bandura, 2006, p. 171). Decision making is or should be considered an important event in one's life. This writer agrees with "In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path" (Proverbs 3:6).

There's an old adage this writer always uses, you may know it too, it says, a person cannot stop the birds from flying over their head, but a person can stop them from building a nest in their hair (hope I said it right, sometimes I can mess it up). In a nutshell, even when an individual voices their concern with scriptural support, it still may not be enough to help the other person see a better solution. One of the things this writer has learned about human nature is that people will do what they want to do, whether they are Christians or not Christians. 

Another consideration is that in Harvey's (1988) stories, the common thread of human nature opposes the self for the benefit of pleasing others. This writer has often pondered why would an individual of good intellect choose to go against their better judgment for the sake of making everybody else happy. Psalms 31:24 admonishes the Christian leader and follower to "Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD" (King James Version).

In those quiet moments on the way back after deciding, we come to ourselves and wonder why that decision and not another. This writer remembers the Prodigal Son's perils in the context of making decisions and going against what he knew in his heart was the right decision. However, after coming to himself, he realized that his decisions were not in his best interests but others. This writer also believes that the stories' point of view is that they can help individuals focus not on past mistakes but future decisions. 

References

Bandura, A. (2006). Toward a psychology of human agency. Perspectives on Psychological

Science, 1(2), 164–180. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1745-6916.2006.00011.x

Harvey, J. (1988).  The abilene paradox and other meditations on management. Jossey-Bass.

King James Bible, King James Version. (2020). King James Bible Online.

https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Psalms-31-24/.  (Original work published 1611)