Sliding Doors and Decision Making
The actor Gwyneth Paltrow starred in a 1998 romantic comedy-drama Sliding Doors. In it, two storylines about one character, Helen, diverge separated by whether or not she made it to the train on the time one day. In one plotline, she catches her boyfriend doing bad and strikes out on a whole new path, with new gumption and new haircut. In the other, Helen is mugged, spends time in a hospital, and has a rash of other unfortunate events. It is a thought-provoking movie and it is entertaining because we see both scenarios playing out together in parallel. Of course, Helen is only living one life at a time and can’t see what the other alternatives look like. It is only at the end that we realize that a good outcome would be possible via either path she took.
In the movie, the two story lines are separated by chance, but they stem from the question “do I get on this train or not?” I know many of us sometimes wish we could watch the Sliding Doors version of our own decisions in the same way. Which path would lead to successful outcomes and what path would lead to heartache, disappointment, or failure? If we could see it play out on the big screen, we could make the right choice.
Ruth Chang is a philosopher. She is a professor and chair of jurisprudence at the University of Oxford. She is known for her research on the “incommensurability of values and on practical reason and normativity.” In other words, she is an expert in making hard choices between options that are difficult or impossible to measure objectively. In her TEDSalon talk a few years ago, she spoke more about how to compare the incomparable. Her advice reminded me of Sliding Doors in three ways.
1. We want to know how the story ends, but instead we only get to see how it starts
The audience of Sliding Doors gets a rare benefit of knowing what the outcome of two different choices played out. Dr. Chang says in her talk that she wished “God or Netflix would send me a DVD of my two possible future careers,” in her example, so she would have chosen wisely between philosophy and law. Sadly, this is not an option we have in real life. Comparing Helen’s scenarios side-by-side allows the movie audience to clearly know the better, easier, more direct path to happiness. But Helen only sees the start of her story and as it plays out day by day. If she had been more honest with herself at the start she probably would have ditched the do-nothing boyfriend on her own (train or no train) and started off into her best new life. Facing the truth and doing an honest assessment of where you are starting is important.
2. Some choices can’t be weighed on a pro or con list
Dr. Chang proposes that “hard choices are not hard because of us or our ignorance; they’re hard because there no best option.” You can’t put a number on values like beauty, kindness, joy, and justice (although we try). They can’t be measured in length, mass, and weight. She continues, “As post-Enlightenment creatures, we tend to assume that scientific thinking holds the key to everything of importance in our world, but the world of value is different from the world of science.” They are hard to characterize simply into pros and cons. They go deeper and require more self-reflection and consideration, not of the external circumstances and opportunities, but of what is important to you.
3. No matter the choice, you choose you
In the movie, Helen was a smart, capable person. In both scenarios. The better outcome wasn’t a function of her intelligence. Because this American romantic comedy stayed true to the genre, in the end of the movie, she had the promise of the best outcome in either scenario. The only thing consistent about the two scenarios was Helen. This is true of the choices we make as well. Because the true outcome is unknown and unwritten, any choice you make is a bet on yourself, in many ways. You should reflect on whether on whether one choice or another will be more true to your values, easier to execute (important that we acknowledge that, because if we are honest it factors in more than we think), or more fulfilling in some way (or which might be more fun). In Dr. Chang’s career dilemma, she made the choice that brought her sliding doors back together. She earned her J.D. from Harvard Law School and a D.Phil. from University of Oxford, is a practicing philosopher, and chair of the jurisprudence at her university according to her website. In the end, it seems she bet on herself and found ways (plural) to bring her interests and talents together in a unique way.
Business decisions often work in the same way. Being self-reflective and facing the truths of your circumstance, being stubborn on your values, and betting on yourself and your team to find a way (or many ways) is the only way you have to achieve the best outcomes.