---
title: "Detach Personal Emotion from Technical Decisions"
source: "https://virtualddd.com/heuristics/detach-personal-emotion-from-technical-decision/"
authors: ["Peter Hunter", "Elena Stojmilova", "Kenny Schwegler", "Andrea Magnorsky"]
tags: ["sociotechnical systems", "decision-making process", "decentralised decision-making", "facilitating software architecture and design"]
type: "guiding heuristics"
question: "How should you handle decisions that replace your own previous work?"
submitter: "Peter Hunter"
---

# Detach Personal Emotion from Technical Decisions

Acknowledge emotional attachment to past work, but consciously set it aside to evaluate new decisions on their own merits. The system's forward progress is more important than the preservation of personal contributions. This ensures objectivity and supports necessary evolution.

## Example

A team's decision effectively threw out an architect's prior work. The architect had to consciously remove their emotional attachment to recognize it was the right decision for moving forward.