Conflict: How Soldiers Make Impossible Decisions [Hardcover]

Conflict: How Soldiers Make Impossible Decisionsis about making hard choices--where all outcomes are potentially negative. The authors draw on interviews conducted with soldiers about the situations they faced and the decisions they made in war. These vivid and sometimes distressing stories allow the authors to explore the cognitive processes associated with choice, goal-directed thinking, innovation, and courage.Conflictinvites readers to consider their own responses under extreme circumstances and ask themselves how they would choose between difficult options. In doing so, this book will go some way to helping readers understand what it feels like when choosing between least-worst decisions.Conflict: How Soldiers Make Impossible Decisionsis about making hard choices--where all outcomes are potentially negative. The authors draw on interviews conducted with soldiers about the situations they faced and the decisions they made at war. These are vivid and sometimes distressing stories. They form the data from which the authors explore the cognitive processes associated with choice, commitment to action and (sometimes) error, as well as goal directed thinking, innovation and courage. By referring to real cases,Conflictinvites readers to consider their own responses under extreme circumstances and ask themselves how they would choose between difficult options. In doing so this book will go some way to helping readers understand what it feels like when choosing between least-worst decisions.List of illustrationsAcknowledgementsForeword by Col. Tim CollinsPreface1. Decisional Conflict: From Best to Least-Worst2. Military Decision Making: Doctrine, Rationality and Field-Based Approaches3. The Science of Selecting Least-Worst Options4. Situational Awareness5. Formulating Plans6. Executing Plans7. Team Learning8. Least-Worst Decision Making 'in extremis'9. Thoughts that Haunt10. How do Soldiers Do What They Do and What Can We Learn From Thl³I