Sometimes, when I am faced with a decision in daily life, I ask myself:
What would a sane person do?
I imagine someone normally sane, grounded, kind, and reasonable. And ask myself, what would that person do?
Yesterday, I bought a humidifier from someone online, and I had the choice of going to Oslo to pick it up or pick it up at my local train station. I was drawn to travel to Oslo since it would give me an excuse to go there and see an exhibit before picking it up.
I noticed a slight confusion in me, and asked myself what would a sane person do? It was pretty clear that a sane person would chose to pick it up at their local train station, and go to Oslo another day to see the exhibit, free from having the additional obligation of picking up the humidifier.
It’s a simple and perhaps silly example. And yet, it shows that taking a third person perspective sometimes can help us clarify what to do. It also shows that very simple pointers or inquiries can be helpful in daily life.