Pros and cons, weighed properly
Not every reason counts the same. Give each pro and con a weight from minor to decisive and see which way the balance really tips.
Pros
- Higher salary
- More interesting projects
- Shorter commute
Cons
- Further from family
- Moving costs
- Higher rent
Leaning yes
Pros 11Cons 9
Pros 11 points from 3 items; cons 9 points from 3 items. The balance is 10% in favour of the pros.
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Why weight a pros and cons list?
In 1772 Benjamin Franklin described his "prudential algebra" to Joseph Priestley: write pros and cons in two columns over a few days, then strike out reasons of equal weight on either side, and where one pro equals two cons, strike out all three. Whatever is left shows where the balance lies. Weights from 1 to 5 do the same job with numbers.
Each side's total is the sum of its weights. The balance is (pros − cons) ÷ (pros + cons):
- within 10% either way: too close to call;
- 10% to 33%: leaning yes or leaning no;
- 33% or more: the pros, or the cons, clearly win.
In the example, pros total 11 and cons 9: (11 − 9) ÷ 20 = 10%, just enough to lean yes. Keep one idea per line and don't count the same thing twice, once as a pro of one choice and again as a con of the other.
Sources
- Franklin B. Letter to Joseph Priestley, London, 19 September 1772, on "moral or prudential algebra".
- Decisional balance sheet, on weighing the gains and losses of a choice.
Questions
What do the weights mean?
1 is minor, a nice extra; 3 is moderate; 5 is decisive, enough to settle the question on its own. Change any weight with the menu beside the item.
The verdict says yes but I feel no. Now what?
That reaction is information, often a con you haven't written down. Name it, weight it honestly and see whether the balance moves.
Is my list private?
Yes. It stays in this browser's local storage and is never uploaded. Clear removes it.