In een interview zei Richard Branson, grondlegger van de Virgin Group, het volgende over ‘je oordeel uitstellen’:

“There have been many occasions when I have been tempted to make a snap decision and decided to wait until I can see the whole picture more clearly. These delays can mean missing the odd opportunity. One example that springs to mind is taking too long to decide to buy the rights to a new game called Trivial Pursuit. But for every missed opening, there have been several averted disasters.

There is a growing overreliance on using statistics as an alternative to using judgement. While facts and figures are extremely useful, data analysis shouldn’t solely drive every decision. The advertising guru David Ogilvy summed executives’ reliance on statistics over judgement: “They are coming to rely too much on research, and they use it as a drunkard uses a lamp post for support, rather than for illumination.”

One vital component of decision-making that is often overlooked is quiet contemplation. After looking at all the stats, speaking to all the experts and analysing all of the angles, then take some time to yourself to think things through clearly. Take a walk, find a shady spot, or simply sit and think for a while. Don’t delay unnecessarily — but don’t rush either. Get that balance right, and you are far more likely to make the right call.”

Wetenschap creëert een model van de werkelijkheid, en dat doen statistieken ook. Om een man als Branson in dit verband te horen praten over ‘experts raadplegen’, ‘een moment van bezinning inlassen’, ‘je tijd nemen, en de situatie even goed doordenken’ dat spreekt ons aan. Precies dáár zien we het nogal eens misgaan: vanuit de ivoren toren, op basis van statistieken beslissingen nemen, en daarbij de factor empathie uit het oog verloren zijn…

Stof tot nadenken.