In most areas of our lives, information rules our decision-making and the quality and completeness of the information our decisions are founded upon can make all the difference.
I have said it once, and I will say it again, the main reason people put off doing something that is good for them is because they have either been misinformed about the subject matter, or they know nothing about it in the first place. In most areas of our lives, information rules our decision-making and the quality and completeness of the information our decisions are founded upon can make all the difference.
For example, what if I told you that eating a piece of chicken provides your body with protein and will help you build muscle over time. If building muscle appeals to you and you are not already aware of this, you will be inclined to add more chicken to your diet now that you know it will have a positive impact and help you reach your goals.
Now, what if I also told you that chicken is one of the causes of parasites and toxins in our bodies, especially if it is not prepared correctly? This additional information will cause you to pause and think more carefully about incorporating it into your diet after all – or to at least make it a point to take great care in preparing this potentially harmful product!
Now, let us go back and pretend again that you know nothing about chicken. What if I only fed you the negative information, leaving out the positive benefits entirely? What does that do to your decision-making foundation? Do you think you have enough information to make the best choice for your muscle-building goals? The answer is no because, with only the negative information to go by, your perception is skewed; you are missing an important piece of the information.
Whenever two people have had different experiences with something, they will inevitably share different perspectives. The person with a negative experience will focus on the negatives, wanting to help through warning. On the other hand, the person with a positive experience will be more inclined to highlight the positives, wanting to bring you in and share their success stories. Although both people mean well, the fact of the matter is that neither one gives you the full picture. To make a truly informed decision, you need to know all of the positives as well as the negatives so that you know exactly what it is you are getting yourself into. Only then can you weigh everything out and make a decision you feel confident about.
If you are familiar with the topic of insurance, the same concepts apply. It is no secret that some people believe that insurance is a swindle. It is also no secret that some people believe that insurance is the deal of a lifetime – I know that I do! The difference is solely due to the information the latter group has acquired over time. Whether that be through extensive research, or speaking with a subject matter expert, or based on their own life experiences, they have built a secure bedrock from which to make their informed decisions about insurance.
With a solid foundation comes a balanced understanding and the ability to exercise sound judgement. The financially literate can accurately inform people about topics regarding finance and, as a result, they can also give the people they love a head start. The people who are unfamiliar with, or who do not take the time to understand a topic will not be able to appropriately help those around them and therefore cannot provide them with the right tools to make informed choices and be in control of their own lives.
When we have the information needed to exercise good judgement, and the goal of being good people, we can become role models for the ones we love, empowering them to take control of their own lives. Although we inherently know what is right and wrong and that no-one should make our decisions for us, people often delay positive actions due to misinformation or a lack of knowledge.
Information is key to decision-making, and its quality and completeness greatly impacts our choices. As a subject matter expert on life insurance, I have made it my mission to get the correct information out there about the topic, and I feel passionate about doing so! What informed people choose to do with the reliable information I can provide is entirely up to them but, by giving you the opportunity to exercise sound judgment through knowledgeable guidance, at least I have done my part! The rest is up to you.