One of the simplest yet stressful and nerve-racking decisions I have to make every day is: what to eat for dinner? Should I cook or should I order from outside? If I go with the latter, should I get pizza or biryani???
There have been nights when I've just stared at my phone, scrolling through endless options on food delivery apps, in search of the perfect meal. And before I know it, an hour has flown by and I am still hungry, with no food order in place.?
Sound familiar?
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Coined by Patrick McGinnis (he is also the expert who coined the term we know way too well, FOMO), FOBO can only take place when there's an abundance of options to choose from, and the fear arises when you feel you'll miss out on the best possible choice, leading to indecisiveness, regret, and unhappiness with the choice made.?
Researchers are calling this phenomenon as maximization. Where people like you and I think that by researching and spending a lot of time, we will arrive at the best decision. But that's not happening.?
This search for the best possible option has only led us to become more indecisive and decreasing our satisfaction levels because let's face it, there will always be a better option compared to the one we choose.?
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And, mind you, this mentality of seeking out the best possible option is not just restricted to food. This indecisiveness can be seen in areas like travel, healthcare, possible medical treatment options, banking, financial investments, basically anywhere and everywhere, where we have to make a choice.?
Even love hasn't been spared by FOBO.? ?
"I am single because I can't get myself to commit. Why can't I commit? Because in my head committing to one person means losing out on someone who might be better than the person I am currently with," Priyanshi Jain, a 24-year-old, writer based in New Delhi, told?Indiatimes.
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"Well, the world we inhabit right now has an abundance of choice as its defining feature. But we must remember, too much of choice is a recipe for misery. We should focus on making quick decisions with adequate research and hope that we'll be happy with our choice," Saniya Mehra, a Psychology professor, told?Indiatimes.?
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With this criterion in mind, I am going to go with the first option that just feels right. And for those still interested in knowing what I ordered for dinner between pizza and biryani, well, pizza always triumphs.?
Do you think you have FOBO? Let us know in the comments section below!?
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