Psychology Fanatic Newsletter 103
Subject: The Flashlight, the Boat, and the Architecture of Choice 🔦⛵
Dear Psychology Enthusiast,
How do we actually make decisions? We like to think of ourselves as “Rational Optimizers”—internal computers weighing every possible variable to find the perfect path. But the reality is often much noisier, more limited, and far more interesting.
This week, we are exploring the boundaries of our logic and the flexibility of our minds through two major updates to the Psychology Fanatic archive.
1. New Article: The “Flashlight” in the Lego Bin
In our brand-new feature, we dive into Herbert Simon’s Bounded Rationality.
Think of your brain like a flashlight in a dark Lego bin. You can’t see every brick in the room (the “Economic Man” myth), so you use your light to find the best brick within your immediate circle of vision. This is the science of Satisficing—the art of choosing “good enough” so you can get back to the work of building your life.
In this guide, you’ll learn:
- The Scissors Principle: How the “blades” of your mind and your environment work together.
- Maximizers vs. Satisficers: Why perfectionism is often the enemy of happiness.
- Smart Heuristics: Why your “gut feeling” is often a highly advanced biological shortcut.
Read: Bounded Rationality — A Framework for Decision Making →
2. Completely Rewritten: Steering Your “Lego Boat”
We have also released a top-to-bottom rewrite of our guide to Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT).
If Bounded Rationality explains how we choose, ACT teaches us how to persist through the storms that follow those choices. Using the Lego Boat analogy, we explore how to stop trying to “control the waves” of your emotions and instead focus on building a more flexible, values-driven vessel.
The Updated Guide Includes:
- The Hexaflex Model: A deep dive into the 6 pillars of Psychological Flexibility.
- Cognitive Defusion: Learning to see your thoughts as “sticky notes” rather than absolute truths.
- Evolutionary Roots: Insights from Steven C. Hayes and David Sloan Wilson on why our minds are “wired for worry” and how to pivot toward what matters.
Explore the Updated Guide: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) →
As you navigate your own “Lego Bin” this week, remember that you don’t need to see the whole room to make a great move. You just need enough light to find the next brick.
Thank you for being part of the community.
To your growth and resilience,
T. Franklin Murphy Psychology Fanatic
Topical Clusters for Further Reading:
- The TOTE Cycle: Your Brain’s Internal GPS
- The Gut Feeling Radar: Antonio Damasio’s Somatic Markers
- Self-Efficacy: The Power of ‘I Can’
Highlighted Articles of the Week
March 4, 2026 – March 10, 2026
Recently Updated Articles of Interest:
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