Ideas

How to Make Better Decisions

Some people look to bold, visionary leaders. Others value technocratic expertise. But there’s a third alternative.

First published in The Atlantic on March 25, 2026.

by David Brooks, The Atlantic

March 26, 2026 | reading time: 17 Min.

As president, George W. Bush got ridiculed for calling himself “the decider.” It seemed so pompous and self-important. But in reality, we are all deciders. The quality of our lives is determined by the quality of the decisions we make about how to move into the future.