I write this article after having spent an hour the other day helping a dear friend of mine decide what her profile picture on Facebook should be. This friend is notorious for being indecisive. In high school, we used to do rock paper scissors when deciding what she wanted to get for lunch (and she would then proceed to do the opposite of whatever outcome rock paper scissors gave her). I can be pretty indecisive myself, and I know how frustrating it can be to not know exactly what you want.
Still, I think indecisive people get a bad rep, and I'm here to change that.
Indecisive people are those who have trouble making decisions, right? Seems simple enough to understand what this adjective entails. Well, let's break this down. When people are indecisive, it means they have choices, they have options they are choosing between.
In understanding firsthand why indecisive people are, in fact, living life to the fullest, it is important to recognize the great gift indecisive people have: the power to choose.
Now, I am not writing this article to shame decisive people, because we need decisive people in the world. We need you to be firm, to hold your ground, and make sure that the world is being pushed forward to new directions. At the same time, our indecisive people are just as much as an asset.
Think about it. Indecisiveness, in many ways, is a sign of openness. When one is unable to make a decision, it is because one recognizes that there is more than one choice out there, more than one path worth taken. While a decisive person may be more narrow minded in their approach to choosing the next logical step, the indecisive person realizes that maybe it is important to consider all options first. In this way, indecisiveness is a reflection of one's ability to pause and really reflect on what's best.
Indecisive people are here to remind us to take a step back and think through all the possibilities, rather than haphazardly making a decision.
In the same way, the fact that indecisive people often have such a hard time making decisions is very telling of their situation. This inability to make a decision reveals that maybe, in fact, neither outcome is bad, either choice you make has its benefits and upsides.
Indecisive people not only show us that there is more than one choice but, sometimes, there isn't one "right" choice, that whatever you choose, you can make the best of your decision.
Take the college process, for example. Yes, I was an April 30th depositer (got the deposit down a day early, right?). I could not make a decision for so long, and I think part of it was that I realized wherever I went, I would be okay. I could be perfectly happy at Nova or any other school I was deciding between (though now, I can't imagine myself anywhere else), and it was my mindset going into school that mattered, not the school itself.
Indecisive people are here to remind us that things aren't always black and white. They're here to provide us with a sense of freedom and responsibility in knowing that we have the ability to choose. They're here to show us that there are many paths worth considering, and though you may only choose one in the end, it doesn't mean the others were any less valid.
As much as it may be frustrating and confusing to be indecisive at times, this state of indecision is important, because it teaches us how to deal with discomfort.
So, I urge you to not look at indecisiveness with a critical eye, but with one of appreciation. Indecision, in the end, teaches us the value we have in making decisions. As someone who considers herself indecisive, I feel proud to think that my indecision has served me, allowing me to become a more open and perspective driven person.
And hey, I'd like to think that I've provided some entertainment to those around me when making the little decisions. I'd like to think my silly indecisiveness at whether to get vanilla or chocolate ice cream, buffalo chicken or veggie pizza, has made someone smile, and reminded them that life is full of choices, and we don't have to take everything so seriously.
Stay indecisive readers. We need you.
Sam :)
