Mathematicians suggest the “37% rule” for your life’s biggest decisions

While there are some limitations to this rule in practice, the general principle remains true: it is best to seek out a reasonable number of options before making a decision, especially if you can return to the options you previously passed up on. When you have a great option in mind, the threshold for a better option is high so you have a high likelihood of making a sound decision. More importantly, when you lack options a lousy option will appear good. The rule, however, does not say endlessly seek out options. Rather it gives guidance on the optimal number of options to seek before readying yourself to make a decision.