On my return journey today (I just returned back from Seattle) with all the time on earth and with no one around being interesting to look at or have a conversation, I was flipping through the e-pages of my unpublished blog, I found something interesting. To put it in just one line
I tried to rationalise why is it that I find it so difficult to make these choices? Is it that I am so indecisive or is it a normal nature of not-being-satisfied-with-what-u-get kinds.
Analysing on these lines, decisions can be classified as 3 categories.
The first category - the simple one - is either when u have no choices or when u have one choice outweighing over other ina ll respects. For instance when I had to choose a school in last Fall, CMU outweighed the other options i had.
The second category is when u know that u can always go back on ur choices with a little effort. For instance, I had to choose a program (both closely related) in CMU. But I knew that I can always switch between the programs with very little effort.
The third category is when u need to choose between 2 and when u know that neither of them is what u really want. For instance, now I have to choose an internship offer between two MNCs, neither being my first choice.
Of all three categories, if ur decision criteria is in first category do u really consider urself lucky? When one's decision falls in this category more often than not, the person complains about not having a better equivalent alternative. Afterall grass is always greener on the other side.
If ur decision falls in category 2, then I would call this as the safest position for any1. U know that u can always get back on the decision and is not going to cost u much. Probably this is the sweet spot between category 1 and 3. But if one cant make a decision between 2 choices that differ so little, does it say something about the decision making skills?
The worst of all is category 3. U know that u r making a decision which is half-hearted. More often than not, u have only one dream choice and that is ur first choice. Anything other than that is all the same. But to make a decision between the 2 unfavorables, u tend to find which is closer to ur dream choice and make the appropriate one. Then where lies the problem? The problem lies in making the decision 'how close is it' to the dream.
As solutions, few would say 'go by what ur heart says'; few others would say 'choose anything and keep trying for the dream'; yet few others would say 'do something as it doesnt really matter'. IMHO, all these schools of thought are either easier said than done or tantamounts to not doing proper justice to the choice u choose.
To find an answer to this riddle, one should ask why at all this category exists? It is because u always tend to have some expectations (that got translated from ur dream) and every1 doesnt meet the set expectations.
So will it all be fine if one doesnt have expectations/expect conservatively and go about with face-whatever-it-is attitude? Or having an attitude of chase-the-dream-till-u-attain-it no matter what injustice u do to current choices help?
These are best answered to urself and these answers is what will in some ways bring out the true character in u.
Deciding amongst choices hasnt been my forte for sometime now.
I tried to rationalise why is it that I find it so difficult to make these choices? Is it that I am so indecisive or is it a normal nature of not-being-satisfied-with-what-u-get kinds.
Analysing on these lines, decisions can be classified as 3 categories.
The first category - the simple one - is either when u have no choices or when u have one choice outweighing over other ina ll respects. For instance when I had to choose a school in last Fall, CMU outweighed the other options i had.
The second category is when u know that u can always go back on ur choices with a little effort. For instance, I had to choose a program (both closely related) in CMU. But I knew that I can always switch between the programs with very little effort.
The third category is when u need to choose between 2 and when u know that neither of them is what u really want. For instance, now I have to choose an internship offer between two MNCs, neither being my first choice.
Of all three categories, if ur decision criteria is in first category do u really consider urself lucky? When one's decision falls in this category more often than not, the person complains about not having a better equivalent alternative. Afterall grass is always greener on the other side.
If ur decision falls in category 2, then I would call this as the safest position for any1. U know that u can always get back on the decision and is not going to cost u much. Probably this is the sweet spot between category 1 and 3. But if one cant make a decision between 2 choices that differ so little, does it say something about the decision making skills?
The worst of all is category 3. U know that u r making a decision which is half-hearted. More often than not, u have only one dream choice and that is ur first choice. Anything other than that is all the same. But to make a decision between the 2 unfavorables, u tend to find which is closer to ur dream choice and make the appropriate one. Then where lies the problem? The problem lies in making the decision 'how close is it' to the dream.
As solutions, few would say 'go by what ur heart says'; few others would say 'choose anything and keep trying for the dream'; yet few others would say 'do something as it doesnt really matter'. IMHO, all these schools of thought are either easier said than done or tantamounts to not doing proper justice to the choice u choose.
To find an answer to this riddle, one should ask why at all this category exists? It is because u always tend to have some expectations (that got translated from ur dream) and every1 doesnt meet the set expectations.
So will it all be fine if one doesnt have expectations/expect conservatively and go about with face-whatever-it-is attitude? Or having an attitude of chase-the-dream-till-u-attain-it no matter what injustice u do to current choices help?
These are best answered to urself and these answers is what will in some ways bring out the true character in u.
5 comments:
reminds me of a song by Queen. "Too much choice will kill you" is something similar to how it goes..
i like the way u categorized the ability to have a choice. and yes, it is tough. yet, its all in the mind. you may have built up something so high, that nothing will ever seem close enough.
yet, one must also look at what the choices are, and whether u have them or not. a bird in hand is, after all, worth 2 in the bush.
Thanx for the comment and i did figure out the song now :)
As said the post, it is easier to say that 'it is all in the mind'. Just that it takes time for u to realise that it isnt a perfect world for u to get whatever u dream of.
very true... one of the ironies of life, things never happen as planned, and life is the rude shock that wakes u from the dreams you have for urself.
my oh my...nvr knew this side of urs existed...! talking philo...! dint u used to rag me 4 talking abt such stuff?! :D 'n u nvr told me u were nephew of P.chidambaram, got to know it just today frm Uma of all ppl! neways don't think this is the right place to go on - will chat with u on im sometime soon... :)
Having choices is not a bad thing, after all u its better than not having. In you category 3, the problem that u see is, which to choose? I would say choose either one of it, instead of worrying too much about the future (since u r not sure which is better than the other). (I am sure, as u said its easy to tell than to do). But the real thing is once u made that choice: u dont have a choice, now u r in that place where the decision is made and u have to live with it. What im tryin to tell is forget how once upon a time u had various choices, and do not ponder 'what if i had taken the other choice? this choice is not so good.. i shud have prob. taken the other one..' cos all that is in the past. u can do nothing about it. ;) Mani
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