Sooner or later we all find ourselves in decisive moments, living experiences that stick in our memories and change our lives.
These moments seem to be the work of destiny or luck, but if we learn to recognise their elements, we can begin to create them.
Why should we want to create decisive moments? To enrich our lives, to connect better with others and to make us remember.
Human behavioural research has shown that when we think back on an experience we tend to forget a lot of what happened and focus on just a few key moments. For example, we forget how long something lasted, but we recall two key moments: the best moment (the super moment) and the end.
Decisive moments originate from one or more of the following elements:
- Elevation (moments in our daily life that transcend the normal course of events);
- Insight (experiences that change our understanding of ourselves and the world, that make us aware of something that has changed in our lives);
- Pride (experiences that capture us at our best, when we are being challenged);
- Connection (social experiences that we share with others)
All these decisive moments generate positive emotions, but they can also cause negative emotions such as anger and pain (moments of suffering).
