Mr Jenkins went to the doctor because something felt off - not enough to panic, but enough to know something wasn’t right.
The doctor listened, nodded, and then walked over to a cabinet and began pulling things out. One by one, he placed them neatly on the table.
Medication A. Medication B. Something experimental. Something herbal.
He explained what each could do - how they might help - why they were worth considering.
Everything the doctor said made sense.
Mr Jenkins looked at the lineup on the doctor’s table.
All of them may be plausible.
Or not.
He looked back at the doctor.
He asked which one is best.
The doctor paused.
"I don’t know."
Mr Jenkins blinked.
Why not?
"Because I don’t know what’s wrong."
He sat there with options - and more worried about his health than before the visit.
He shifted in the chair. Looked around the room. Slower this time.
Where’s the hidden camera?
Nothing.
Just him. The doctor. And a table full of possibilities.
He looked back at them again.
How do you select?
It’s the cart before the horse.
That same pattern shows up in decisions.
If you don’t know what you’re trying to achieve - you can’t judge what “better” looks like.
You’re presented with options - explained - compared - considered.
So you go through them. Think them through.
How do you select?
When “better” isn’t defined - no option can win - and if one does, you may feel sorry later.
If you don’t know where you are going - you will likely end up somewhere else.
When you compare first and define later - two things happen:
Either nothing clearly stands out - and you stall. That’s the luckier outcome.
Or something seems to stand out - and you lock onto it for the wrong reason.
That’s the trap.
The comparison came first.
The understanding didn’t.
Consider putting the horse before the cart and see if that's better.
If this feels familiar, start here:
👉 Run the Second Look Decision Diagnostic to see what’s missing before you decide
👉See why this happens
👉 📖 Read more on Second Look blog
You can continue with making the decision afterwwards.