This article traces the evolution of human-centered decision-making through three phases, arguing that understanding "humanness" remains crucial even in our AI-driven era. It begins with Decision-making 1.0 (traditional market research like focus groups), noting limitations such as short-term focus, isolated methods, and susceptibility to echo chambers that stifle innovation. Decision-making 2.0 introduced technology and AI to improve connections and streamline processes, but the author argues that algorithms cannot handle non-existent information, exceptions to rules, or unexpected anomalies. Decision-making 3.0 emphasizes that human ingenuity creates discontinuities and envisions possibilities beyond past data, making our "shared humanness" essential for better choices despite the complexity it introduces.

This article identifies societal polarization as a "wicked problem"—complex social issues that are difficult to solve due to incomplete knowledge, numerous stakeholders, and interconnected nature with other problems. The author argues that social media's advertising model has deepened societal divisions, creating echo chambers where different viewpoints become sources of hostility rather than understanding. Drawing on design theorist Richard Buchanan's work, the piece suggests that wicked problems like polarization, climate change, and inequality require systems thinking combined with collaborative, iterative approaches that understand both big picture and contextual details.

This article discusses the concept of perspectives and human ingenuity, referencing political scientist Thomas Homer-Dixon's "ingenuity gap" theory—the idea that as we solve problems, new and more complex issues emerge that outpace our ability to address them. The piece explains how human perspectives are formed through combining emotional responses, personal experiences, sensory feedback, and input from others and the environment. It describes how humans can understand and adopt other people's perspectives, which enhances collective problem-solving and decision-making abilities.