Don't Overthink It - Anne Bogel Page 0,8

a decision after it is made

Why We Overthink: Causes of Analysis Paralysis

Analysis paralysis does not affect us all equally; some of us are more inclined than others to get caught in this specific trap. Sometimes our less helpful tendencies, like perfectionism, predictably reel us in. Sometimes we’re snared by more insidious means when our best qualities, like intelligence and curiosity, get us into trouble.

When approaching a decision, we may get stuck for a variety of reasons. For example, we may enjoy exploring the options or feel uncertain about what to do, or we may be driven by a perfectionistic belief that the right answer is out there somewhere, waiting to be found.

Intellectual Curiosity

When faced with a decision, intellectually curious people habitually seek more information about the matter at hand. They’re eager to learn more for the sake of learning and find the pursuit of new knowledge inherently interesting. When seeking a solution, highly intelligent people may see whole landscapes of possibilities that others don’t see—which may inadvertently lead them to make simple decisions needlessly complex.

These positive traits have an unintended consequence: they make us prone to analysis paralysis because they prod us to search for additional options, whether or not we need them. Those extra options don’t lead to better decisions; they just overwhelm us. And when we’re overwhelmed, we can’t decide anything.

Intelligence and curiosity don’t inevitably cause analysis paralysis, thank goodness. But if we’re unaware of the connection, these positive qualities are more likely to lead us astray.

Information Overload

When we’re making a decision, more information can be a good thing. The problem is not the impulse to gather information but the degree to which we follow it. Gathering data and examining options are beneficial—but at a certain point, that hunt for information not only has diminishing returns but becomes actively unhelpful. (Information is good until it’s bad. See how sneaky overthinking is?) Before long, we’re trapped by our own thoughts, believing that if only we can find a new data point, identify the needed resource, or think a little harder about the issue, the answer will become clear.

Instead, that extra information only further overwhelms us. When we hold out for more data points, we’re not being smart; we’re sabotaging ourselves. We’re not moving toward a solution; instead, we’re actively making our situation worse.

Once established, the cycle is difficult to break. When—or if—we do ultimately reach a decision, we’re less sure about the outcome than we were before. Imagine my poor husband debating whether to go to Target. Because he’d overthought the situation, no matter what he chose, he wasn’t going to be happy. The same is true for us when we face our own decisions. Because of our overanalysis, we’ll be less satisfied with the outcome, even if we arrive at an objectively better one.

If we aren’t aware that analysis paralysis is the cause of our troubles, the cycle continues. Our dissatisfaction spurs us to analyze even more the next time we face a decision, which leads to greater paralysis.

Perfectionism

Years ago, my husband and I needed to tile the bathroom in our first house. We couldn’t find a contractor to do it at a price we could afford, so we resolved to do it ourselves.

During the project, I kept running to Home Depot for supplies, and every time I entered the tile department, I’d see a big sign hanging from the rafters that urged shoppers to “Do it right or do it again.” Each time I saw it, I thought two things: Yes, exactly! and I sure hope I’m doing it right, because I don’t want to do it again.

Back then I made a critical error, assuming that right meant the same thing as perfect. It’s one thing to value high standards, but there’s a difference between high standards and perfection. I hope Home Depot has retired that stupid slogan by now, because it haunted me for years, bringing my submerged inner perfectionist roaring back whenever I thought about it.

Like many, I’m well acquainted with perfectionism. When I was younger, I didn’t perceive the ways perfectionism had infiltrated my thought life, nor did I perceive its ripple effects—indecision, irritability, analysis paralysis. I wasn’t able to name perfectionism as a struggle, which meant it had a big advantage in our ongoing tug-of-war.

When we don’t realize perfectionism has a hold on us, it can exert an unsettling degree of control over our behavior. Calling perfectionism what it is deprives it of its power.

Perfectionism may manifest as any of the following:

Regular procrastination

A