The Secretary’s Dilemma

Sections

1. Picture This
2. What Is It?
3. The Basic Setup
4. What To Do
5. Choosing A Life Partner
6. Choosing A Career

Picture This

You're visiting London for the first time with your romantic partner, strolling through its lively streets. As the evening approaches, your attention shifts to the many bars and restaurants, each appearing as charming as the last. The challenge: choosing where to dine, a decision that mirrors the dilemmas we encounter in life, from finding love to choosing your next pair of sneakers.

Enter the "Secretary's Dilemma." It's like selecting the perfect restaurant in London, but it's a math-based approach to making decisions when faced with uncertainty.

What Is It?

Disregarding its somewhat dated and condescending name,

The secretary's dilemma provides a mathematical solution for situations where the goal is to choose the best possible alternative without any certainty about how future alternatives will compare to past ones.

The Basic Setup

Here's how it works:

1. There are "n" candidates for a job position, and you must interview them one by one.

2. The candidates arrive in a random order, and you have no information about how they compare to each other.

3. A decision must be made immediately - either accept or reject them - with no option to change your mind.

4. The goal is to select the best possible candidate.

What To Do

Returning to the London example,

if the street you've chosen for dining has ten restaurants, you should walk past 3.7 (rounding up to 4). Then, evaluate which one of the four seemed the best. As you continue down the street, stay at the first restaurant that is as good as or better than the one you picked from the initial four you saw.

Naturally, this approach, like most things in life when you attempt to rely solely on numbers to find an answer, is not always totally accurate. It simply provides a methodical solution to situations in life filled with uncertainty and second-guessing.

More Applications I Liked

Choosing A Life Partner

Suppose your age range for staying in the dating pool is between 18 and 35, you can break it down into distinct periods:

From 18 to 25, you engage in an exploration phase, dating a variety of people to better understand what suits you.

From 25 to 31, you evaluate and consider individuals who align with your values and life goals.

Finally, from 31 to 35, you actively seek out "your type" and are willing to commit once you find a strong match.

Choosing A Career

If your age range for exploring careers is 18 to 28…

From 18 to 21, you explore by selecting a career that interests you, gaining practical and intellectual knowledge, and building a small network in your chosen field.

Ages 21 to 25 are for reflection, where you assess your strengths, interests, and goals, seeking advice from those who know you well.

Ages 25 to 28 involve exploitation as you delve into an entry-level job, seek mentorship for career growth, and hone your skills.

By the age of 28, you review your career trajectory and make adjustments if necessary to ensure it aligns with your values, life satisfaction, and long-term goals.

Keep In Mind

“If one does not know to what port one is sailing to, no wind is favorable.” -Seneca

These are just personal parameters we can set to give us a better idea of how we can approach unclear predicaments in life, meant to gift us a tiny sense of control in our decision-making process.

It definitely gives me peace of mind knowing I shouldn’t worry about messing up romatic relationships until I’m 25.