Why Being Indecisive May Or May Not Be The Worst Thing Ever

I couldn't even decide if I actually wanted to write this article.

However, after a few days letting my thoughts marinate, change and culminate into real ideas, I finally sat down and put together a collection of reasons why being indecisive may be my fatal flaw.

Being indecisive is so much more than navigating difficult decisions and choosing between what is right and what is wrong. It means weighing all (or at least, most) options and still finding it difficult to make a definitive choice, even when it comes to the simplest of decisions. The more viable options available, the less likely it is that a decision will be made.

An extensive brunch menu can send an indecisive person into a tizzy, and don't even start with political parties. Heck, choosing a movie on Netflix is impossible — just leave that decision in your friends’ hands.

Making a decision is also an indication of commitment. Whether you commit to finishing “Orange is the New Black” or to a college, these are obligations in which you (should) believe.

I’ve recently come to the realization that I base my choices off of aesthetics. Song lyrics may very well be beautiful, but if they don’t set off bells in my ears, I don’t like it -- simple as that. And so, oftentimes, I am left feeling guilty that I have almost no solid likes, dislikes or even concrete values.

Times change, people change and my mind changes along with them. If that song I liked two weeks ago doesn’t click with me anymore, then I’m back to my personal top hits. While a song is just a basic example, there are very few things in which I universally believe and have held close to my heart for a long period of time.

Indecisiveness is territorial and selfish. People falter to choose because all options are desirable. It’s like the girls who have five boys chasing after them and refuse to choose because they all have something different to offer. Picking one would mean giving up the others.

Does this necessarily make it a character flaw? Not at all.

We are growing up in a generation that highlights selfish tendencies, which shouldn’t be confused with unkind actions. Blogs, articles and corny quotes repeatedly remind teens to love themselves before they love someone else and that in order to love someone else, self-discovery is totally necessary. Self-discovery is all about being open.

So often, I meet people who have set goals and stable values, and while the steadfast nature is admirably committed, these people seem less open. They are sometimes unwilling to see new perspectives. Life is not black and white; it's the gray in between that is often the most interesting and keeps people thinking.

I’m still working to figure out who exactly I want to be in this world and my indecisive nature has allowed me to contemplate even the smallest of options for all they are worth.

For that, I can confidently say, I am grateful.

Photo Courtesy: We Heart It