Using a Pendulum for Decision Making

The pendulum as a mirror for decisions

Using a pendulum for decision making works best when you treat it as a mirror rather than a judge. The pendulum gives you an answer; you notice how it lands. That noticing is the heart of the whole method.

A handheld pendulum is moved by your own micro-movements, what's known as the ideomotor effect. On Paths, depending on the engine you pick, it's moved by randomness, physics, or your hand. In no case is anyone in there who knows what's right for you. What you do get is a clear answer, and faced with a clear answer, your body often reacts faster than your arguments.

Write the decision down first

The first step in deciding with a pendulum is writing the decision as a single sentence. "Should I take the job offer in the other city?" is more useful than "What should I do with my life?" If there are really three paths, name all three.

Writing forces you to separate what's at stake. Sometimes, just by putting the question into words, you notice the doubt isn't about the job at all, but about leaving someone, or about being afraid of getting it wrong. That's a good question too, and it deserves its own turn.

• One decision per question.
• Present tense, stated positively: "Is moving this year right for me?" rather than "Wouldn't it be better not to move?"
• If there are several options, put them on a board of your own in My pendulums.

Pros and cons: Franklin's moral algebra

A pros-and-cons list is the pendulum's natural partner. In a 1772 letter to his friend Joseph Priestley, who was weighing a new position, Benjamin Franklin described what he called moral or prudential algebra: divide a sheet into two columns, jot down reasons for and against over three or four days as they occur to you, and strike out the ones that balance each other.

Franklin's point was that all the reasons are never present in the mind at the same moment, and seeing them together helps you judge. He also admitted that the weight of each reason can't be measured with algebraic precision. That's where the pendulum comes in: once your list is done, ask, and see whether the answer matches the heavier column or surprises you.

Ask, then watch your body

The key moment is the second right after you see the answer. Before you start thinking, notice what happens: do your shoulders drop, does your stomach tighten, do you want to ask again? Each of those reactions is saying something.

The Danish poet and mathematician Piet Hein wrote a short poem, one of his "grooks," about tossing a coin when you can't make up your mind: while the coin is in the air, you suddenly know what you're hoping for. A pendulum does the same. If seeing "Yes" brought a wave of relief, that relief is information. If it brought disappointment, so is that.

Boards that help you decide

Choosing the right board makes a decision easier to see. Paths has several built for this, and you can make your own with your own options.

If the answers seem contradictory after a few questions, nothing is broken: it usually means the question bundles two issues together. Split them and start over.

• Yes or no: for a decision you can phrase as a single question.
• This or that: when you're torn between two specific paths.
• Now or wait: when what worries you is the timing, not the choice.
• What to do: to open up options when you feel boxed in.
• One to ten: to gauge how strongly each option pulls at you.

Sleep on it

Letting a night pass before you decide is some of the oldest advice around, and it pairs well with a pendulum. Ask, write down the answer and how you felt, and do nothing until the next day.

In the morning, read your notes. Ask yourself whether yesterday's reaction is still there or whether it was just the fatigue of the moment. Franklin gave his list three or four days; for big decisions, giving yourself that room isn't indecision, it's respect for what's at stake. If you like, ask again calmly and compare the two in My readings.

What a coin-toss experiment found

In 2021, economist Steven Levitt published a study in The Review of Economic Studies of people stuck on a major change, such as quitting a job, who agreed to flip a coin online for guidance. People whose toss pointed toward change were more likely to make the change, and those who did make a change reported being happier, on average, months later.

The study has limits of its own: the answers were self-reported, and not everyone responded to the follow-ups. Still, it leaves a useful idea for anyone who uses a pendulum: sometimes what matters most isn't the answer but the nudge out of paralysis. A pendulum can give you that nudge; the decision is still yours.

When not to use a pendulum to decide

Some decisions are off-limits for a pendulum. Health, legal matters, and significant money call for someone who knows the field: for symptoms, see a doctor; for a contract, a lawyer. The pendulum can keep you company while you think about how you feel regarding those choices, but it shouldn't make them.

It's also wise not to ask about what other people feel or will do, and not to ask in the middle of strong anger or panic. In those moments, any answer gets tangled up with the emotion. Breathe, let the tide go out, and come back later.

A five-step decision routine

If you'd like a simple routine for deciding with a pendulum, try this one. You can do it in ten minutes or spread it over several days.

• Write the decision in one sentence and, if needed, its options.
• Make your pros-and-cons list and cross out what balances out.
• Calibrate your pendulum, ask once, and notice your reaction before you think.
• Record the answer and how you felt in My readings.
• Sleep on it, reread, and make the call yourself.