One of my pet peeves is people who won’t make decisions — analysis paralysis, a friend once called it. Whether it’s as simple as deciding what to have for dinner, or as serious as choosing a presidential candidate, I am concerned by people who wither when it’s time to decide, act, and live with the consequences.
If the dithering affects only their personal sphere, that’s their business. But make no mistake. Whether or not a person is grounded in principle, confident and decisive has direct implications for the public square. Unfortunately, a lot of folks aren’t. They want to pass off their responsibilities to others, and as we see every day, the nanny-staters are happy to oblige. Check out this passage about young people, which is part of a recent Wall Street Journal piece about psychological research on ambivalence and decision making. (emphasis is mine)
In a recent study, college students were asked to write an essay coming down on one side or another of a contentious issue, regarding a new labor law affecting young adults, while other groups of students were allowed to write about both sides of the issue. The students forced to choose a side reported feeling more uncomfortable, even physically sweating more, says Frenk van Harreveld , a social psychologist at the University of Amsterdam who studies how people deal with ambivalence.
Are they kidding? Unfortunately, they’re not.
