We make hundreds of decisions daily. Most are small—what to eat, what to wear. But some are life-changing: Should I take this job? Confront this injustice? Help this stranger in need?
Two profound traditions offer radically different—yet surprisingly compatible—guidance on how we actually make these choices.
Sartre: The Weight of Radical Freedom
French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre observed something unsettling: when you face a real decision, nothing actually tells you what to do. Your past, your personality, even your values—these don’t force your choice. They’re just factors you must decide whether to follow.
Imagine you witness someone being bullied at work. You could:
- Speak up (risk your career, stand for justice)
- Stay silent (protect yourself, avoid confrontation)
Sartre says: Nothing makes you choose either way. Your past courage or cowardice doesn’t determine your present action. You must choose, right now, in this moment—and you’ll bear full responsibility.
This is terrifying because there’s no cosmic answer sheet. You’re choosing in a gap of pure freedom. Whatever you choose, you’re saying: “This is what humans should do here.”
The basis for decision? You create it through choosing. Your choice doesn’t follow values—it creates them.
The Bhagwat Gita: The Light of Discrimination
The Bhagavad Gita describes that same gap differently. Between stimulus and response lies buddhi—your capacity for wise discrimination.
Buddhi isn’t just intellectual reasoning. It’s cultivated wisdom that can discern:
- What’s essential vs. trivial
- What serves the greater good vs. narrow self-interest
- What aligns with dharma (righteous duty) vs. what violates it
In the bullying example, a developed buddhi would help you see:
- The dignity of the person being harmed
- Your responsibility as a witness
- The long-term consequences of silence vs. speech
- What your highest duty demands
The Gita doesn’t eliminate choice, but it illuminates it. A clear buddhi doesn’t force you to act rightly—you remain free—but it helps you see what right action looks like.
The Synthesis: Free Wisdom for Human Flourishing
Here’s the powerful integration:
Accept Sartre’s truth: You are radically free. No one can make decisions for you. You bear full responsibility.
Embrace the Gita’s practice: Cultivate your buddhi through reflection, ethical practice, and consideration of consequences for all beings.
The result: You make decisions that are both freely chosen and wisely discerned.
A Practical Framework
When facing important decisions:
1. Acknowledge the gap (Sartre) Recognize: no one can decide for you. Not your boss, your family, your past self. You’re free and responsible.
2. Expand your vision (Gita) Ask: Who is affected? What serves the greater good? What would I want if I were in the other person’s position?
3. Cultivate discrimination (Gita) Develop your buddhi through:
- Pausing before reacting
- Considering long-term vs. short-term consequences
- Asking: “What kind of world am I creating through this choice?”
4. Choose and own it (Sartre) Make your choice knowing you’re creating values through it. Don’t hide behind “I had no choice” or “Everyone does it.”
5. Serve humanity (Synthesis) The best decisions expand freedom and wellbeing for all. When torn between options, ask: “Which choice serves not just me, but the human community?”
Why This Matters
This synthesis transforms decision-making from:
- Paralysis (“I don’t know what to do”) → Engaged responsibility (“I’ll choose wisely and own it”)
- Selfishness (“What benefits me?”) → Expansive care (“What serves the greater good?”)
- Autopilot (“This is just who I am”) → Conscious creation (“I’m making myself through this choice”)
The next time you face a real decision—whether to speak truth to power, help someone in need, or change direction in life—remember:
You’re standing in a gap between who you were and who you’ll become. That gap is simultaneously empty (nothing forces you) and full (wisdom can illuminate it).
Choose freely. Choose wisely. Choose for humanity.That’s the art of decision-making.