[Background: this is an essay responding to the topic of popular mechanics by Raymond Carver]
There are only two rules in decision making:
Don't promise anything while happy
Don't take important decisions while angry
Even though these rules are simple enough for pretty much anyone with half a brain to understand, we all tend to believe ourselves as an exemption, and since our state of mind is compromised during these special (though rather common) occasions, we never think twice the real effects of these decisions in the long term; it even on the short term for that matter.
The belief that you must make everyone happy when you're happy, or miserable when you're angry, which the help of whatever tools you find, being decisions the most important for the objectives of this essay; leads to the most unfortunate consequences mice you get out of this state. Just imagine you get married or something, and you promise your new wife /husband/both a week in that place you both always wanted to visit, but couldn't because you hadn't enough money; but now you can! Thanks to that promotion in the company you hate even though you previously provided to yourself you were going to resign as soon as next week. These how you'll have to stand against your principles for another two years of so.
How imagine you broke her favourite Ming dynasty jar when he/she got mad at you for not "following your dreams", even though had already claimed that jar for you during the divorce. That's thousands, if not millions of dollars you'll never see again thanks to that little rage; plus two years of your life gone to trash on that company you hate, and heard just filed for bankruptcy, to pay for that non-refundable trip you never took.
And don't get me started on the baby.
