Making Making goodgood

choices choices

What is the What is the difference between difference between just making a just making a decision and making decision and making a good decision?a good decision?

Making a Making a goodgood decision decision includes: includes:

Critical thinkingCritical thinking Good judgmentGood judgment Responsible behaviorResponsible behavior Considering the risksConsidering the risks AttitudeAttitude--How did each of these effect how you played the skunk game?How did each of these effect how you played the skunk game?

Critical Critical thinkingthinking

What is critical thinking?What is critical thinking?

Basically, it is being Basically, it is being able to apply logic and able to apply logic and make your own make your own decisions.decisions.

Critical thinking allows us to make Critical thinking allows us to make our own decisions our own decisions regardless of regardless of the opinions of othersthe opinions of others. The critical . The critical thinking process is an essential thinking process is an essential part of decision-making and part of decision-making and should be used during the should be used during the decision-making experience. decision-making experience.

Critical thinking steps: Critical thinking steps:

1.1. Identify and describe a problem or Identify and describe a problem or situationsituation

2.2. Discriminate between fact and opinionDiscriminate between fact and opinion

3.3. List possible solutions and their List possible solutions and their consequences consequences

4.4. Identify personal and family values that Identify personal and family values that conflict with the situationconflict with the situation

5.5. Take a defensible position based on Take a defensible position based on logiclogic

Good Good JudgmentJudgment

Judgment:Judgment: The process of The process of forming an opinion or reaching forming an opinion or reaching a conclusion based on the a conclusion based on the available material.available material.

Good Judgment:Good Judgment: Using the Using the critical thinking process to form critical thinking process to form an opinion or reach a an opinion or reach a conclusion.conclusion.

Poor Judgment:Poor Judgment: Not using the Not using the critical thinking process to from critical thinking process to from an opinion or reach a an opinion or reach a conclusion.conclusion.

Responsible Responsible behavior behavior

Responsible:Responsible: Being liable; Being liable; called on to answer for called on to answer for behavior.behavior.

Responsibility:Responsibility: What one What one is responsible for.is responsible for.

Responsible Behavior:Responsible Behavior: Taking responsibility for Taking responsibility for one’s actions, belongings one’s actions, belongings and space.and space.

““Responsibility is not the result of Responsibility is not the result of maturity, but the cause of it, and a major maturity, but the cause of it, and a major responsibility of parents is to teach responsibility of parents is to teach responsibility. On the lowest level, responsibility. On the lowest level, responsibility is obedience. At its next responsibility is obedience. At its next highest level, it becomes morality, or highest level, it becomes morality, or acknowledging that our actions affect acknowledging that our actions affect others, and we care about how our others, and we care about how our actions impact others. At the highest actions impact others. At the highest level, we give service to society.” level, we give service to society.”

-Richard and Linda -Richard and Linda Eyre Eyre

Responsibility means doing what you Responsibility means doing what you must do and being accountable for the must do and being accountable for the decisions that you make. It is directly decisions that you make. It is directly related to freedom: the more you have, related to freedom: the more you have, the more responsibility you must take. the more responsibility you must take. Responsibility is sometimes viewed as Responsibility is sometimes viewed as the opposite of freedom, but indeed, it is the opposite of freedom, but indeed, it is the result of freedom. the result of freedom.

““Liberty means Liberty means responsibility. responsibility.

That is why most That is why most men dread it.” men dread it.”

- Playwright George Bernard - Playwright George Bernard Shaw Shaw

Considering Considering RisksRisks

There is risk involved in all aspects of our There is risk involved in all aspects of our lives. Crossing a busy street certainly lives. Crossing a busy street certainly causes a risk; however, when we can causes a risk; however, when we can make a conscious decision about make a conscious decision about whether or not to do something that is whether or not to do something that is harmful to us, that is when using good harmful to us, that is when using good judgment can improve the quality of our judgment can improve the quality of our lives. lives.

Good judgment means that you consider Good judgment means that you consider the the risksrisks and weigh the consequences so and weigh the consequences so that when you make a choice, you will that when you make a choice, you will weed out the decisions that may cause weed out the decisions that may cause harmful or disastrous consequences to harmful or disastrous consequences to your life and health.your life and health.

Why do people Why do people take risks?take risks?

People take risks for People take risks for many reasons:many reasons:

To make moneyTo make money To gain respect in the eyes of To gain respect in the eyes of

othersothers Not knowing the facts about what Not knowing the facts about what

they are doingthey are doing To meet personal goalsTo meet personal goals Because of personal beliefsBecause of personal beliefs For personal gainFor personal gain Etc.Etc.

PhysicalPhysical: Causing physical harm or injury to yourself: Causing physical harm or injury to yourself (skiing, racing, etc.) (skiing, racing, etc.)

PsychologicaPsychologicall: Causing emotional harm or injury to yourself: Causing emotional harm or injury to yourself (love, trying out for something, disobeying parents, etc.)(love, trying out for something, disobeying parents, etc.)

Drug/AlcoholDrug/Alcohol: Causing physical and emotional harm to self : Causing physical and emotional harm to self or others (smoking, pills, drinking, abusing drugs, etc.)or others (smoking, pills, drinking, abusing drugs, etc.)

LegalLegal: Causing risks with the law: Causing risks with the law (stealing, running away, hurting someone, etc.)(stealing, running away, hurting someone, etc.) FinancialFinancial: Causing a risk to personal resource: Causing a risk to personal resource (investing money, lending money, borrowing money, etc.)(investing money, lending money, borrowing money, etc.) SocialSocial: Causing a risk of rejection by your peers: Causing a risk of rejection by your peers(standing up for your beliefs, revealing a secret, going against (standing up for your beliefs, revealing a secret, going against

what the crowd is doing, greeting a new person, etc.)what the crowd is doing, greeting a new person, etc.) EducationalEducational: Causing a risk in being prepared for the future: Causing a risk in being prepared for the future (dropping out of school, sluffing class, not completing (dropping out of school, sluffing class, not completing

assignments, being tardy, etc.)assignments, being tardy, etc.)

Risk-taking can be positive, too. Some Risk-taking can be positive, too. Some examples of positive risk taking are:examples of positive risk taking are:

Not being afraid to make unusual Not being afraid to make unusual contributions to a groupcontributions to a group

Being unique and individualisticBeing unique and individualistic Setting a goal and reaching itSetting a goal and reaching it Learning a new skillLearning a new skill Doing something beyond your Doing something beyond your

expectationsexpectations

AttitudeAttitude

What is attitude? What is attitude?

It’s basically the It’s basically the way we look at way we look at thingsthings

How can your How can your attitude affect the attitude affect the decisions that you decisions that you make?make?

What was your attitude towards the What was your attitude towards the skunk game that we played?skunk game that we played?

How many of you took it really How many of you took it really seriously?seriously?

How many of you really didn’t care? How many of you really didn’t care? How did that affect the decisions that How did that affect the decisions that

you made? you made?

Your attitude:Your attitude:

Influences your decisionsInfluences your decisions Reflects how you treat othersReflects how you treat others Leads to self-respectLeads to self-respect Enhances human relationshipsEnhances human relationships

Attitude is Attitude is everything!everything!

It is important that we learn from the It is important that we learn from the experiences of others. An individual experiences of others. An individual cannot possibly learn everything for cannot possibly learn everything for himself/herself, but must rely on the himself/herself, but must rely on the learning’s of those around him/her learning’s of those around him/her and/or individuals from history. By and/or individuals from history. By observing the actions, decisions, observing the actions, decisions, judgments and consequences of judgments and consequences of others, we can learn a great deal.others, we can learn a great deal.

-Glenn, H. Stephen; -Glenn, H. Stephen; Developing Capable Young Developing Capable Young PeoplePeople

One thing to remember…One thing to remember…

Questions to ask myself when Questions to ask myself when making a decision :making a decision :

((- write this down in your note book- write this down in your note book))

1. Is it against the law, rules or the teaching 1. Is it against the law, rules or the teaching of my family or religion?of my family or religion?

2. Is it harmful to me or to others?2. Is it harmful to me or to others?3. Would it disappoint my family or other 3. Would it disappoint my family or other

adults that are important to me?adults that are important to me?4. Is it wrong to do? Would I be sorry 4. Is it wrong to do? Would I be sorry

afterward?afterward?5. Would I be hurt or upset if someone did 5. Would I be hurt or upset if someone did

this to me? this to me?

How can the skills that How can the skills that we have talked about we have talked about today help you prevent today help you prevent problems in your life? problems in your life?

What is the difference What is the difference between making a between making a decision and using decision and using good judgment? good judgment?

It’s up to you! It’s up to you! No one can make lives critical No one can make lives critical

decisions for you (as much as some decisions for you (as much as some of your parents want to). of your parents want to).

It is all up to you what you will It is all up to you what you will choose to do. choose to do.

Just know there will be Just know there will be consequences for all of your choices consequences for all of your choices (for good or for bad).(for good or for bad).

What would you do if…What would you do if…

One of your friends One of your friends was making fun of was making fun of another kid at school? another kid at school?

What would you do if…What would you do if…

Your friends tried to Your friends tried to get you to shop lift get you to shop lift something with them? something with them?

What would you do if…What would you do if…

Your were invited to a party Your were invited to a party by someone that you really by someone that you really liked and you knew there liked and you knew there was going to be drinking at was going to be drinking at the party? the party?

What would you do if…What would you do if…

Someone you were Someone you were dating told you that they dating told you that they really loved you and really loved you and wanted to have sex with wanted to have sex with you?you?