A while back a beautiful woman, whom I quite liked, asked me to marry her. I was stunned. Marriage? Now? It is too early! I have not even turned forty! However, for one reason or another I decided not to share my spontaneous reaction with her. I said I felt overwhelmed by this… unexpected proposal, and that I need some time ot think it over. At dawn the following day I… raced to the university library. I borrowed all the books I could find on decision theory. Later the same afternoon, after having learned what modern decision theory is all about, I still had no clue how to answer the lady.
Off-topic, but I cannot resist sharing Peterson’s story of how he became interested in decision theory: