Earlier this year, I read the book How We Decide by Jonah Lehrer. It’s a fascinating look at the neuroscience behind decision-making. There are numerous anecdotes and studies in the book that illustrate the scientific findings on how we choice between different options. One of the studies that stuck with me is the strawberry jam experiment.

As the strawberry jam experiment is explained in the book, a psychologist set out to determine whether, in a taste test, college students would show the same strawberry jam preferences as food experts for Consumer Reports.  Students in one group were asked to sample various brands of strawberry jam and rank them. The results showed a strong correlation between the experts’ and the students’ preferences; that is, the students and experts were in agreement about the best and worst jams. But when students in a second group were asked not only to rank the jams, but also explain their decisions via written questionnaires, there was almost no correlation: the students’ preferences were different from the experts’. When the students were forced to analyze their decision-making, they made different choices altogether.

What can we learn from the strawberry jam experiment? Too much deliberation in choosing between two or more options distorts our judgment and leads us to choose poorly. This concept is intriguing because it is contrary to what seems logical, which is that spending more time weighing options helps us make better decisions.

I’ve thought about this concept as it relates to decisions that I’ve made in my own life. When I was faced with choosing a major in college, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with my life, but I still needed to decide on a course of study. I eventually picked psychology. Why? Because I loved the subject. There were certainly more practical majors I could have chosen (business, for example), but I went with what felt right rather than heavily weighing the pros and cons of various majors—and I have never regretted the decision.

I contrast that with my choice of study for a graduate degree, which was library science. I went with what seemed practical at the time based on several factors:  A career counselor in high school had said that the library profession might be a good fit for me…I could take classes through a distance education program, which meant that I could live at home with my parents and save money…It didn’t require a long commitment of time to complete the degree (it took me about a year to finish). I had some reservations, such as whether I would find the work interesting and stimulating enough for my interests and personality, and my initial reservations turned out to be  correct to some degree. Was it a terrible decision? Of course not, but I sometimes wonder if perhaps I thought too much about the decision and, as a result, didn’t make the best career choice.

Reading How We Decide altered the way I view decision-making. Though I certainly believe in giving important decisions some serious reflection, I now realize that some decisions don’t require great analysis. Sometimes our brain will tell us the answer if we stop thinking so hard and just listen.