Why do we justify bad decisions—even when we know better?

From business to parenting to the worst excuses people use to defend bad habits, this episode breaks down why we rationalize dumb decisions. They get into why work-from-home isn’t always the dream people claim, the myth of “Fed is Best” among new parents, and why bad customer service is usually due to bad leadership.

KEY TOPICS

Work-from-home reality check: is it better, or have we convinced ourselves?
Why McDonald’s salads were a terrible idea (and what businesses should learn from it).
Three ways to compete in business—why you can only pick two.
How people justify bad decisions: The “Fed is Best” mindset

CHAPTERS

[00:00] Intro: Defeating BadDecision-Making in Life & Business

[00:49] –The Bank Nightmare ThatWouldn’t End
[03:14] –Why Are Big Companies So Bad at Fixing Simple Problems?
[05:42] –The Customer Service Mistake That Creates More Problems
[08:06] – The Work-From-Home Lie No One Wants to Admit
[10:30] –“Fed Is Best” and Other Excuses for Bad Decisions
[12:54] –Why We Defend Choices We Know Are Wrong
[15:17] –The Truth About Trade-Offs (And Why We Ignore Them)
[17:39] –The Business Lesson Hidden in Bad Movie Reviews
[20:05] –The Real Reason Some Movies Get Terrible Ratings
[22:31] –Are Critics Lying? The Secret Behind Audience Scores
[24:56] –How to Tell Instantly If a Movie Is Worth Watching
[27:12] –The “Beautiful vs. Tacky” Test for Business & Life
[29:33] –The Biggest Branding Mistake Companies Make
[31:48] –Why You Should Brag About Your Weaknesses
[32:48] –Message from the Producer

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Ep.176 I Deciding to Rationalize Bad Decisions: How We Trick Ourselves into Thinking We’re Right