Quick: The Blink of an Eye or Ponderous Mulling?

I'm sure the honest answer for everyone is that some decisions are made lickety-split, as if without thinking, and others are weighted with intense deliberation.

But can you characterize which decisions fall under which category?

I'm not sure I can.

Sometimes, the heftiest, most difficult, "life-changing" decisions present themselves as a fait accompli before there's even time to consider pros and cons. Sometimes, the "quick" decisions take a long time, and pros and cons rear their heads in arenas usually less philosophical.

Where to live? Which job to take? Whom to marry? What to name a child?- all big decisions that may indeed require thinking and pondering and pros and cons...or maybe not.

What to do tonight? Which flight to take? What to have for dinner? Which shampoo to use? - all (fairly) small decisions that often enough (if you're me) take an inordinate amount of time, only to discover when all is said and done that the alternative was preferable after all.

I once furnished an apartment with the unexpected. That is, I went to the stores with specifics in mind, and discovered there that something else that wouldn't usually appeal "felt right." Time bore me out - those quick selections were among the best (in the context of the apartment). Which is not to say that making decisions quickly is inherently a good idea. Just that some quick decisions may well serve surprisingly well.

Alternatively, choosing something quickly may simply be a tool to help us know what we really want, when the pros and cons clamor equally. To wit, Phoebe's game (I'd like to embed the video, but for some reason, I can't, so find it here for much more fun than reading permits: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwziXSeabd4):

Scene: Central Perk, Joey is reading a map as Phoebe enters.

Phoebe: Oh hey Joey! What’s up?

Joey: I can’t decide which route to take to Vegas. Hey, you’ve traveled a lot right?

Phoebe: Yeah, I’ve been around.

Joey: Okay, so-so which route should I take the northern route or the southern route?

Phoebe: Ooh, if you take the northern route there’s a man in Illinois with a beard of bees. {Okay, I must protest this, I’ve lived in Illinois all my life and know of no man with a beard of bees! Wisconsin, on the other hand, might be a different story.}

Joey: Great! Problem solved!

Phoebe: But on the southern route there’s a chicken that plays tic-tac-toe.

Joey: Well, back to square one.

Phoebe: Oh, I know a way that you can decide! All right, I’m going to ask you a series of questions and you answer as quickly as you can.

Joey: (quickly) Yes!

Phoebe: Good, but wait. Okay, all right, here we go. Now I want you to relax. Take a deep breath. Clear your mind. (Quickly) Which do you like better peanut butter or egg whites?

Joey: Peanut butter!

Phoebe: Which would you rather be a fireman or a swimmer?

Joey: A swimmer!

Phoebe: Who would you rather sleep with Monica or Rachel?

Joey: Monica. Oh… huh, I always thought it would be Rachel.

Phoebe: No thinking! No thinking! Tie or ascot?

Joey: Ascot!

Phoebe: North route or south route?

Joey: North route!

Phoebe: Bamn! There you go! Huh?

Joey: Wow! That was incredible! Beard of bees, here I come!

As it happens, I'm in the mood for quick decisions today...though nothing is at stake this very day....Maybe change is in the air...but as far as I can foresee, no big quick choices will be made today by me.