In fourth grade, I decided to run for the Leadership Council. My elementary school was a Leader in Me school, which is a school intervention focused on student leadership. I knew I wanted to be on the council and help decide curriculum and school structure (so there was a massive B).
There was one thing standing in my way. My best friend Kori was running too – and I thought I should be a good friend and vote for her. My mom thought this was ridiculous – “if you don’t vote for yourself, why should anyone else?”. Further, she argued, my vote could be decisive – and if I really want the role, I should vote for who I want to win.
Little did my mom know, she was employing the minimax-regret decision rule. By voting for myself, I was minimizing the regret I would feel if I were to not win and it was decided by a single vote.
And my vote ended up mattering. By just one vote, I was elected to be the Ms. Bentley’s class representative. I guess good politicians have to vote for themselves.
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