Why do you Make Bad Choices?

[_wenglund]

Everyone's missing the obvious. We make poor choices because of free agency. It all goes back to the Council in Heaven. Two plans were provided to us. One plan would force us to do good. The other plan would allow us to make our own choices. The first plan was selected. We can choose to either follow the commandments, or follow Satan. If we make a bad choice, we have used our free agency to follow Satan.

That's right; blame it all on God.

I think you are misreading "blame" into what was said, and misreading who is supposedly to "blame". That is certainly your choice as a free agent, though I am not sure it is all that functional to be "blame" oriented" or project "blame" onto others. ;-)

Thanks, -Wade Englund-

[_harmony]

Everyone's missing the obvious. We make poor choices because of free agency. It all goes back to the Council in Heaven. Two plans were provided to us. One plan would force us to do good. The other plan would allow us to make our own choices. The first plan was selected. We can choose to either follow the commandments, or follow Satan. If we make a bad choice, we have used our free agency to follow Satan.

That's right; blame it all on God.

I think you are misreading "blame" into what was said, and misreading who is supposedly to "blame". That is certainly your choice as a free agent, though I am not sure it is all that functional to be "blame" oriented" or project "blame" onto others. ;-)

Thanks, -Wade Englund-

The Council in Heaven was God's idea, Wade, in case you've forgotten. So anything that came out of the Council in Heaven can be traced back to God.

(And I was speaking tongue in cheek, but of course you missed that.)

[_truth dancer]

I am not sure what you mean by "gut", but I find it useful to make decision, at any level of "consciousness", using a balance of heart and mind.

Hi Wade...

Yeah, "gut" is a combination of what feels right in my heart, what seems right to my mind, and what expresses itself as my intuition. :-)

I agree with you... the more we understand why we make poor choices the more skilled we may become in our future decision making.


~dancer~

[_wenglund]

Everyone's missing the obvious. We make poor choices because of free agency. It all goes back to the Council in Heaven. Two plans were provided to us. One plan would force us to do good. The other plan would allow us to make our own choices. The first plan was selected. We can choose to either follow the commandments, or follow Satan. If we make a bad choice, we have used our free agency to follow Satan.

That's right; blame it all on God.

I think you are misreading "blame" into what was said, and misreading who is supposedly to "blame". That is certainly your choice as a free agent, though I am not sure it is all that functional to be "blame" oriented" or project "blame" onto others. ;-)

Thanks, -Wade Englund-

The Council in Heaven was God's idea, Wade, in case you've forgotten. So anything that came out of the Council in Heaven can be traced back to God.

(And I was speaking tongue in cheek, but of course you missed that.)

I am, and have long been, fully aware of the LDS beliefs about the origins of agency (having taught the notion many times over multiple decades). But, given that I have remembered this all along, it doesn't mean you weren't reading "blame" into what was said. You were.

And, if you are going to say something "tongue-in-check", it helps if it at least make some sense and has some relevance to context in which it is stated. Otherwise, the humor tends to backfire. ;-)

Thanks, -Wade Englund-

[_Jersey Girl]

At times I get frustrated with those who talk about poor choices a person may make as if the person purposely decided to make a bad choice. These folks may have little understanding of why a person may make a poor choice, asserting they are either, evil, bad, stupid, lazy, or incompetent.

I'm assuming most of us here have made a poor choice or two at one time or another. ;-)

Why? What factors played into your poor choices?

Do you think choices are the same as decisions? Why or why not?

Does anyone purposely choose that which they think will create harmful consequences?

What have you learned from your bad choices in terms of how to make good ones?


As I look at my mistakes or poor choices I would say nearly all of them occurred when I either:

1. Trusted someone who was not trustworthy.

2. Believed things that were not true.

3. Was in a poor emotional state when the decision was made.

4. Was not well informed about the consequences of the decision.

Any thoughts, insights, or words of wisdom?

:-)

~dancer~

Not putting a whole lot of thought into this but first, I'd like to say that I'm weary of hearing the "making choices" phrase over and over again in subtitute for more effective communication. I'm not complaining about the wording of your post, TD. My lunch breaks last semester were such that I had an opportunity (blessing/curse) to listen to the Dr. Laura radio program. (She grows on you). My observation was that caller after caller used the phrase "making good/bad choices" in such a way that it almost seemed absurd to me. Like this: "My question is should I stay with my husband?" "Well, he made a bad choice and I just want to know if I should stay with him". Later, as Dr. Laura engages in teeth pulling, you come to find that the husband beat the living you-know-what out of her.

This is a "bad choice"? Please stop it people.

Or "He made a bad choice ...because he stole money from my mother... to buy drugs...because he's a drug addict".

Get serious.

In response to your question, I think that some of the more "bad choices" I've made are on account of the fact that when the choice involves people, I tend to centrate on one part of the problem while ignoring another and only see it later after something hasn't gone well.

I don't think that I make intentional bad choices.

Jersey Girl

[_truth dancer]

Hi Jersey Girl...

I understand where you are coming from. :-) (What is up with those folks on the Dr. Laura show anyway)?

I use of the term, "good or bad choices" because this is used so often in the LDS church and by some folks on the board. For example, the young womens' program has seven values around which their program is focused, one of which is "choice and accountability." The idea of choice and free agency is a huge topic in the LDS church. Basically one of the core doctrines, in my opinion.

Anyway... you summed up my thoughts...

I don't think that I make intentional bad choices.

I do not think anyone (there may be an exception or two), purposely, intentionally makes bad choices. I think there is much more to behavior, actions, and our way of managing life.

I heard an LDS woman, speaking of another women in the ward who was going through some serious problems remark, "I'm just so glad I made good choices in my life." (sigh). As if, this heartbroken woman consciously chose to make bad choices that caused her trials. I feel quite certain this woman did the best she could given her circumstances and abilities.

I wonder if going with the "they made a bad choice" idea is a way to "righteously" judge and condemn others.

~dancer~