Dr. Ellen Langer

They're not going to tell you what to do.

Not only that, but if you were going to do a cost benefit analysis, there's nothing that tells you when to stop pulling in information.

And each new piece of information could change the sense of a decision.

Not only that, but I told you prediction is an illusion.

Decision making relies on being able to predict.

Right.

That if you have to decide you want a car or a boat, strange choice.

I don't think anybody makes it, but let's just leave it that way.

We have a car and a boat that costs about the same money and you can't decide which one.

that the decision you're making depends on your guess about how much you'll enjoy.

Well, I enjoy the boat.

I get seasick, so it's not appealing to me.

But will I enjoy the boat as much as I have enjoyed it?

You can't say.

Things change.

Okay, now help me get back to this because I want people to understand when I say you can predict.

So that when I was married at the time with the pancreas,

He was in the army, was a Vietnam sort of thing.

And I was able to go to the commissary.

So this is like Costco, but Costco didn't exist.