In Western societies, patient autonomy has become the norm However, a series of experiments involving over 3800 participants reveals that when people face complex decisions, they actually prefer guidance and a more paternalistic approach, contrary to the prevailing trend of autonomy. Surprisingly, those providing advice often underestimate this preference for paternalism, resulting in perceptions of lower competence and helpfulness. This preference holds true across various contexts with expert-non-expert dynamics, both in and outside of the medical field. Ultimately, this challenges the recent emphasis on full decisional autonomy in medical care and decision-making.