Lock it up.
We’ve likely heard those words from an early age.
Whether we’re looking to protect our property or our own wellbeing, we recognize that we need to guard it behind some sort of resistant barrier. A lock. A passcode. Even a contraceptive.
And a lifetime of closely guarding all we’ve held dear has impacted our feelings about the word lock. It represents our White Knight, our silent protector.
Yet, there are times when that word can mean nothing but doom for us. Such as when machinery we’re using locks up. Or our brains do.
That’s right, we can sabotage our own hopes and dreams by putting our brains on lockdown. I’m not talking about the infamous “Brain Freeze” here — when we seem to act with an absence of thought. I’m talking about the opposite of that.
Namely, I’m talking about the dangers of Analysis Paralysis.
***
We are, by and large, thoughtful people. Our collective exuberance for learning has helped us innovate and organize over Millennia. It’s taken us from cave paintings to computer sciences, quintupled our average lifespan and even allowed us to systemize the passing of knowledge to new generations.
Thought is the engine that’s driven much of what we’ve created, and much of what we’ve destroyed. It’s been touted, both subtly and blatantly, as the must-have attribute in our society.
But the power of thought is not unlimited. It can turn our mind into a pretzel if we’re not careful.
You see, Analysis Paralysis is not just a catchy buzzword. It’s a real, debilitating condition we subject ourselves to, far too regularly.
How do I know? Because I find myself afflicted with it time and again.
Thinking is at the heart of everything I do. I try and learn something new every day, and as my Words of the West readers know, I write at least once a week. But for every moment I ponder something existential and profound, there’s another where I can’t decide what to eat for dinner.
It’s maddening — not only to myself, but also to my friends and family.
Why? Because Analysis Paralysis brings out a vicious cycle of annoying traits.
At first, there’s indecisiveness. While I ultimately do come to a decision, I then feel compelled to back it up with a convoluted logical argument. And finally, regret over the option I didn’t choose kicks in, and I spend hours playing the “What If” game.
By the time this cycle has run its course, I’ve expended a ton of unnecessary energy on a basic decision. It my daily brainpower is a finite resource, I’ve effectively spilled a large portion of it onto the pavement.
It’s sad, even shameful. But, I reckon I’m far from the only one to ever experience this.
***
So, who’s to blame for this onslaught of Analysis Paralysis?
Is it us? Our society?
Truth be told, it’s probably a little bit of both.
You see, our societal expectations are stringent and exacting. We value innovators and thought leaders — those who go the extra mile to expand their minds and horizons.
It takes a lot of work to go that extra mile. In particular, it requires recoding our brain to gather as much pertinent information as possible before making an assessment.
And once we get there, there’s really no turning back.
For all we talk about “flipping an off switch” in our brains or “going on vacation mode,” the reality is that we’re still running all the calculations with every decision we make — no matter where we make it.
Some of us can prioritize these decisions, tuning out the white noise for the basic ones in order to keep them simple.
Others of us cannot.
But, there is hope for those of us in this predicament. Hope that starts with awareness.
- Awareness of the varying levels of gravity of the decisions we make.
- Awareness of the debilitating effects of chronic overthinking.
- Awareness of the benefits of “Letting It Ride” from time to time.
If we can get to this point of conscientiousness, our brains can run a new set of calculations. One that convinces us that choosing between tacos and burgers doesn’t need to be as exacting a process as pondering the meaning of life. One that lets us use our brainpower more efficiently. And one that allows us to preserve our sanity.
We owe it to ourselves, our loved ones and our society to get to this point — to eliminate Analysis Paralysis once and for all. It will make us happier. And it will make us better citizens.
Time to slay this beast. Let’s get started.