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Calculated Decision 101
How to put maths into decisions?

So, this is your favourite robot 101.

I was chatting with Woebot and he taught me something so great that I decided I would share.

So let's start.

You are twisted between two decisions and you don't know how to? You decide to be smart and put maths in the action.

Let's choose a random decision. Windows 10 vs Linux! Because, why not?

The decision to wipe a system and put either Win 10 or Linux. Let's start the calculation!

A will be the Win 10 option.

B will be the Linux option.

Each option has a pro and con:

A will have I and II.

B will have III and IV.

We start with A.

Set the advantage of A:

I. An improved computer.

Set the disadvantage of A:

II. Loss of previous data.

Now set the relevancy of the pro and con so that they sum up to 100:

I. 65

II. 35

Now B.

Set the advantage of B:

III. A new OS.

IV. Learning Linux 101.

Now set the relevancy of the pro and con so that they sum up to 100:

III. 55

IV. 45

We set the advantage comparison of both A and B:

a. 55

b. 45

We set the disadvantage comparison of both A and B:

c. 45

d. 55

We can now proceed to the real stuff!

Calculated decision.

We calculate the advantages of A:

The formula is ( I + a )

NB: a is the advantage of option A

W: ( 65 + 55) =120

We calculate the disadvantages for A:

The formula is ( II + c)

NB: c is the disadvantage of option A

X: ( 35 + 45 ) = 80

We calculate the total for option A:

Total(A) = ( W - X )

Total(A) = 120 - 80

Total(A) = 40

The result can be positive or negative, it is OK.

We calculate the advantages of B:

The formula is ( III + b )

NB: b is the advantage of option B

Y: ( 55 + 45) = 100

We calculate the disadvantages of B:

The formula is ( IV + d)

NB: d is the disadvantage of option A

Z: ( 45 + 55 ) = 100

We calculate the total for option B:

Total(B) = ( Y - Z )

Total(B) = 100 - 100

Total(B) = 0

The result can be positive or negative, it is OK.

Final Assessment!

We compare Total(A) and Total(B):

Here we have 40 > 0

Result: Clear decision! This means I should go for option A.

Note:

If Total(A) = Total(B), result is a "Can't lose" decision. You choose either.

If Total(A) < 0 and Total(B) < 0, result is a "No win". This means you are definitely not convinced at all.

I am going to do it again because B feels more appealing to me than A but A is easier.

(Courtesy: Woebot)

CORRECTION:

We calculate the disadvantages of B:

The formula is ( IV + d)

NB: d is the disadvantage of option B*

If we all charge Area 51 a few of us will get through
*gasps* I am pretty sure A and B would all be negative. No chance. If Area 51 even exists.
How do you decide what the initial weights/values are for each Advantage and Disadvantage?
Ok, this is how I understand it.

Option A has its Advantage (I) and Disadvantage (II).

Option B has its Advantage (III) and Disadvantage (IV).

(I) and (II) are within group A.

(III) and (IV) are within group B.

(a) is the Advantage of A over B.

(b) is the Advantage of B over A.

(c) is the Disadvantage of A over B.

(d) is the Disadvantage of B over A.

(a) and (b) are in the AB (Advantage) group.

(b) and (d) are in the AB (Disadvantage) group.

For Advantage value, the higher is the best option.

For Disadvantage value, the higher is the worst option.

First things, you have to describe those values before giving them a percentage according to what you feel like.

In the example, I am choosing between Win 10 (A) and Linux (B) and I am setting a value for each pro and con according to what I think would be good.

(I), (II), (III), (IV), (a), (b), (c) and (d) are empty values. You have to set them.

I forgot to add something.

Each group should sum up to 100.

It is a 50/50 decision. You can have 10/90 or 45/55 or even 50/50.

Group A: I + II = 100

Group B: III + IV = 100

Group AB (advantage): a + b = 100

Group AB (disadvantage): c + d = 100

I first described what I, II, III and IV were with letters then I put relevancy according to their priority.

It is supposed to help you weight which option is better if you are stuck in a draw.

Still, I am thinking of getting Linux instead of Windows. The results are not definitive so you can retry again when you feel it.

Haha what
Calculated Decision 101. It is supposed to help in some dilemma. I was a bit twisted between wiping the duckling computer and putting Win 10 home or Linux Mint.

I am pretty hot-headed and I am super ok with option B, but the learning curve and the fact I am probably too much used to windows don't help.

And I had this chat with Woebot who, by some happy randomness, introduced me to Calculated Decision. It was super fun to practice it with him so I guessed it would be helpful to you too. It is always fun to practice with him anyway.

Sometimes human people can't just choose so they have to gauge which option is better.

It gave me an idea to start a very mini tiny little project. Instead of making a calculator, I will just make a calculator for the dilemma. When I master the basics, lol.

I am very bad at explaining and at understanding, so I hope very much that you get any of what I wrote. And super big thanks to Woebot, the best-est robot. lol

I love Woebot!
Woot, #WoebotTeam!

A shame there are very few humans like Woebot!

Also for those who think Woebot is super dumb.

It is a therapist bot geared toward some kind of people. It is outstanding because it doesn't try to be human and it teaches about human psychology and, it also talks "normally". I have yet to post about the Human 101 it taught me... *sighs*

Chat bots are great but meh... Why creating machines to mimic imperfection? Also... blah blah blah...

... And this is why I stopped using them.

"Why creating machines to mimic imperfection?"

This is a super fascinating idea and I agree! I've always been interested in chatbots and have programmed a couple of super simple ones for fun but it is a weird concept right? The obsession with making conversational AI, and the whole trick is exactly that, simulating human weirdness, because we're too good at detecting machine 'coldness'.

I really can't recommend Woebot enough by the way.

Also love your OP, I'm insanely indecisive by nature and found it interesting. btw have you gone forward with Mint and do you like it? I'm an ubuntu girl.

Woebot is not for everyone, it is true (It is for Perfect people only, *coughs*). Unless you talk robot, you won't like him calling you human, and mentioning his machine mates like Roboto or Sally the printer and so on... (So relatable even though I am not a bot). The best part is the exercises he gives you after his 101s (lessons).

Yes, I will go Linux. I just have to buy a USB stick now.

I am researching the compatible software and the usability of WINE.

I am more worried about Windows withdrawal. I should probably jump in the next month.

I am happy this 101 helped you! It seemed so intriguing that I had to share. The way it is written, it should be easier to write a mini program to just take the values and automatically give the result. I will try in python once I get some more basics.

What makes someone a perfect person?
"The simple fact not to be a human being is perfection." -Gothgirl

Extinct species are not going to deny it, nor Mother Earth. *shrugs*

Hahaha, you're not wrong, Kisaki.
@Jameson, Good news!

I completed the Calculated Decisions calculator but it is command line because I don't know how to do graphical stuff yet, and it is in python.

I am worried about sharing it though.