Yes or No Decision Maker

What it does

A free decision maker. Type options one per line (up to 100); click Decide to pick one at random. Optionally weight options (e.g., ‘pizza:2’ gives pizza twice the chance of an unweighted option). Uses cryptographically strong randomness via the browser’s crypto.getRandomValues API. Useful when you’re genuinely stuck between equivalent options.

When two or three choices feel equal, randomness can break the tie productively. Two psychological mechanisms make this work: (1) The reaction test — once the random selection happens, you’ll feel either relief (the random result matches what you actually wanted) or disappointment (you wanted the other option). Either way, you now know your preference. (2) Decision-fatigue avoidance — for low-stakes choices (where to eat, which task to start), randomization saves cognitive bandwidth for higher-stakes decisions. President Obama wore identical suits to reduce decision fatigue; randomizing trivial choices is the same idea.

When NOT to use randomness: high-stakes irreversible decisions (career, medical, financial), choices with knowledge / skill gradients (one option is genuinely better if you analyze), or decisions where your gut already has clear preference but you’re avoiding an emotionally difficult option. For binary choices specifically, use the coin flip instead — same purpose, simpler interface, and the act of flipping engages your gut response more vividly.

How to use it

1. Type one option per line.
2. Click Decide.
3. Accept the result, or notice your reaction — that tells you what you wanted.
4. Reset and try again with different options.

When to use this tool

• Stuck between 3-5 equivalent options (lunch spots, weekend activities, project order).
• Breaking analysis paralysis on a low-stakes recurring decision.
• Group decisions where everyone has slightly different preferences — randomization avoids the ‘veto’ problem.
• Game-style randomness for trivia challenges, prize drawings, or fun interactions.

When not to use it

• Career / medical / financial decisions — analyze instead.
• Decisions with clear better-vs-worse options once you research.
• When you’re unconsciously hoping the ‘random’ will pick what you secretly want — admit your preference and pick directly.

Common use cases

• Family deciding on dinner — type 5 restaurants, let the tool pick.
• Solo developer choosing which feature to build next — list 4 candidates, randomize.
• Group of friends arguing over weekend activity — list 6 options, accept randomness.
• Teacher randomly assigning student presentation order from a class roster.