{
  "id": 5372287,
  "title": "How to make difficult decisions, according to philosophy",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/03/how-to-make-difficult-decisions-according-to-philosophy",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-09-03T16:56:11.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Big Think",
    "slug": "big-think",
    "url": "https://bigthink.com/mini-philosophy/how-to-make-difficult-decisions-according-to-philosophy/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Life often presents us with choices that lack clear answers. Decisions such as selecting a career path, deciding on starting a family, or relocating can leave us feeling stuck. This type of dilemma, according to philosopher Ruth Chang, is known as a \"hard choice.\" The difficulty lies not in the subject matter of the choice, but in its structure. In conventional decision-making, we compare options using terms like \"better than,\" \"worse than,\" or \"equal to.\" However, in hard choices, the options are neither better nor worse than one another, nor are they equal. They lead to distinct, sometimes mutually exclusive, futures that we cannot easily choose between.\n\nChang introduces a fourth dimension to our decision-making framework called \"parity.\" Instead of viewing options as equal, we should think of them as being \"on a par.\" This means acknowledging that even if we exhaust all external reasons, there may not be a definitive reason to choose one option over the other. The decision remains difficult because the options represent different kinds of futures, and we cannot determine which kind of future we desire.\n\nWhen external reasons run out, Chang suggests that we may find liberation in this uncertainty. Rather than feeling anxious or gloomy, we can see it as an opportunity to be guided by internal reasons. In situations where options are on a par, there is no objectively \"right\" path. There is no \"best\" choice. This realization can be freeing because it means we have the freedom to choose based on our own internal reasons, rather than being constrained by external criteria.\n\nOne of the advantages of hard choices is that they offer an opportunity to live according to our own internal values and principles. We can exercise our freedom by committing to a certain kind of life, choosing a path that aligns with who we want to become. This process of self-creation is challenging but empowering. However, it's important to recognize that drifting or opting for the safest route is a common response when faced with hard choices. The young person may drift into a profession their family approves of, the anxious lover may stay with someone due to fear of the unknown, or the retiree may choose a familiar coastal location out of comfort. Such behaviors are understandable, but they don't necessarily lead to a fulfilling life.",
  "summary": "Every now and then, life asks us a question with no easy answer. Which career should we pursue? Should we have children? Should we move to the coast or closer to our friends? We gather information, read testimonials, and exhaustively research both options. One path seems better in some ways, the other seems better in others, and we find ourselves stuck between them. The best answer eludes us.…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}