Is there ever a time when one does not face the challenge of making difficult decisions? Students face them when attempting to decide what university to attend. Which people should I hang out with? Should I continue or break off a relationship.

Parents face them when attempting to guide their children onto and down the "right" path of life.

Government leaders face them when attempting to decide what course of economic or military or social action to take.

Difficult decisions abound. The leaders of nations are facing some very difficult decisions moment by moment as things develop and unfold in the Middle East.

Some of us trust our gut feelings when making decisions. Some of us make an attempt at critical thinking to improve our decision making. Some of us combine both.

I have always given significant weight to gut feelings, or intuition. That poses problems, however, when one is involved in a decision that might have to be made by a group.

If others disagree with my intuition because of their own, do I simply say mine is better?

On the other hand, I have read that there is empirical evidence that critical thinking may sometimes be inferior to intuition in making good judgments.

For example, one group of college students' preferences for brands of strawberry jelly. The conclusion was that those who were asked to analyze reasons for their preferences ended up making decisions that corresponded less with "expert opinion" than did those who made less analytical choices.

I know some, and maybe myself included, who approach decision making like Scarlette O'Hara. What was it she said, "Oh! fiddle-dee-dee. I'll think about that tomorrow?"

Problem is leaders of nations right now cannot afford to think about it tomorrow, and their analysis cannot afford to be flawed, and their intuition cannot afford to be wrong. Let's hope, let's pray, that the ones who are genuine find ways to make right choices as they're facing difficult decisions. Our future, our children's future, depends upon our leaders making wise choices.

Jack Rollins is managing editor of the Daily Dunklin Democrat.