Gamestorming – Brainstorming

In terms of making decisions one can quickly become overwhelmed, at any one time, by the volume of information flooding into ones mind. This is no fun! Especially when a step really does need to be made. For example: To move, or not to move? Send the children to this school, or the other school? Register with this doctor, or that doctor? To go into hospital, or sweat it out at home? Often one can have several impending decisions all competing for attention. With the consequence that even one small step becomes almost impossible.

It would seem that Benjamin Franklin, no less, devised his own practical, and possibly fun, solution for weighing up the pro’s and con’s of taking a particular step. Potentially multiple steps. What he devised for himself is now being talked about as gamestorming. I think I will give it a try.

When these difficult Cases occur, they are difficult chiefly because while we have them under Consideration all the Reasons pro and con are not present to the Mind at the same time; but sometimes one Set present themselves, and at other times another, the first being out of Sight. Hence the various Purposes or Inclinations that alternately prevail, and the Uncertainty that perplexes us.
Benjamin Franklin, described by him in a 1772 letter to Joseph Priestley.

Gamestorming Blog- Pro/Con List

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4 thoughts on “Gamestorming – Brainstorming”

  1. OK if it is an ‘either-or’ decision and it might work for three or four simultaneous options. But the question that comes up for me is ‘how often can we distil decisions into the form of such clear cut choices?’

  2. I often write a list of pros & cons of doing something plus the pros & cons of not doing it. It helps to clear my mind so that a decision can be made. The ones that make themselves are the best of course!
    However, I find the idea of “it doesn’t have to be either/or it can be both/and” really helpful.There are usually more options than we at first think. This doesn’t only apply to decision making but to understanding in lots of ways.

  3. And I like what you say in the second paragraph Angie. We so often hear, we must hear both sides of the story. As if there were _just_ two sides. Complexity is what we live with and the real tendency to come down on ‘a side’ really limits us and our actions.

    I’ve not tried the list as described. However I will. I may try what you do and have two lists…. I’ll report back when I have done it.

  4. Well not often Iain, however it is at least a start to gather in all the orbiting options. As Angie points out there is always the ‘this – AND’. If you get what I am saying. Give the ‘game’ a try why not.

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