Indecisiveness - Gift or Curse?

Squirminator2k

I just had a conversation with a friend on Google Talk about the "merits" of indecision. She supposes that indecision can, at times, be a benefit as it prevents one from making a foolish or stupid decision. My response is that indecisiveness is an inherent weakness on all levels; a failure to come to a final decision either out of a lack of confidence in your own reasoning abilities or, occasionally, the result of being forced to make a particularly difficult choice.

There's a difference between weighing the possibilities and just flat out being unable to act upon your own conclusion.

I figured this would make an interesting topic for debate.

Feral

One might reap the consequences of failure to act just as one might reap the consequences of a wrong decision. There's a proper balance in all traits, decisiveness included, and one should not be too hasty nor too hesitant.

Squirminator2k

There is, however, an active difference between reaping the eventual benefits and actually suggesting that indecision is a good thing because it delays the potential negative consequences from happening.

Feral

Squirminator2k wrote: »

There is, however, an active difference between reaping the eventual benefits and actually suggesting that indecision is a good thing because it delays the potential negative consequences from happening.

The salmoned part is silly.

Squirminator2k

This is more or less my point. My friend suggests that as an indecisive person she's less prone to being directly responsible for bad things occurring in her life.

I have suggested, politely, to her that she is talking bollocks.

KalTorak

Yeah, if there's no effective difference in outcome between not being able to decide (and getting a good result because of the delay) and refusing to choose either given choice (and getting the same good result), I don't think you can attribute your good fortune to indecisiveness as a virtue.

Sentry

Has she never read Hamlet?

Greeper

Might not matter if there weren't any consequences to our actions or lack thereof. However, that would be silly!

Indecisiveness is bad. Always.

Squirminator2k

Sentry wrote: »

Has she never read Hamlet?

Or, for that matter, seen Spider-Man?

Probably not.

Feral

Squirminator2k wrote: »

This is more or less my point. My friend suggests that as an indecisive person she's less prone to being directly responsible for bad things occurring in her life.

I have suggested, politely, to her that she is talking bollocks.

In too many situations, if you can't decide, somebody else will. Or you'll miss your window of opportunity. Or you'll be influenced by somebody who does not have your best interests at heart.

Corlis

If you define indecisiveness as "the inability to act on your own conclusion", then it is certainly a weakness, but not everyone would define it that way. If we call it the inability to come to a decision, then it's pretty much a neutral thing in and of itself. Of course, situations can make it either good or bad. For instance, if there is in fact pretty clear evidence one way or the other, or if circumstances mean you have to make a decision (e.g. a battlefield), then it's bad. On the other hand, if there isn't enough evidence to make a good case either way, then it might be a good thing.

KalTorak

Yeah, I can't think of a situation where true indecisiveness would be a boon (other than a result coming of outside influence as discussed). However, indecisiveness shouldn't be confused with taking the time to accrue enough information to make an informed decision.

Corlis

What do we call weighing the evidence and in the end saying "There is just not enough evidence to clearly prove the issue one way or another"?

Squirminator2k

Corlis wrote: »

What do we call weighing the evidence and in the end saying "There is just not enough evidence to clearly prove the issue one way or another"?

There's a political joke here, I know it.

Corlis

Squirminator2k wrote: »

Corlis wrote: »

What do we call weighing the evidence and in the end saying "There is just not enough evidence to clearly prove the issue one way or another"?

There's a political joke here, I know it.

It probably involves waffles.

cooljammer00

Indecision can only be seen as good after the fact. Otherwise, it's just regret.

EmperorSeth

Obviously, it's a gift. No, wait...a curse. Maybe. No, it should be a gift! Yes! NO! It's a curse, of course! That's so obvious that...hold on. Maybe it is a gift....

Medopine

Corlis wrote: »

What do we call weighing the evidence and in the end saying "There is just not enough evidence to clearly prove the issue one way or another"?

jurors who hang and piss me off, that's what we call it

Detharin

If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice -Freewill by Rush.

Dracil

There's a difference between weighing the possibilities and just flat out being unable to act upon your own conclusion.

Given the OP has basically defined indecisiveness as the latter, then yeah, there's no benefit to indecisiveness.

Then again, you could also define decisiveness as just always doing things impulsively with zero thought, which is an awesome way to remove yourself from the gene pool.

redx

I'm about as decisive as a danish prince, it causes problems. Any particular character trait taken to an extreme is going to be a bad thing and will almost certainly negatively effect the individual's live and those around them. I see a lot of people who make rash, poorly thought out decisions based on snap judgments.

Between the two, I think the later can ruin your life a lot faster, but the former can accomplish the task just as surely.

Kagera

I don't know let me get back to you.

autono-wally, erotibot300

this thread tilte is pure gold, you know?

Squirminator2k

One could argue that it was intentional.

One would be arguing incorrectly.

Feral

redx wrote: »

Between the two, I think the later can ruin your life a lot faster, but the former can accomplish the task just as surely.

The latter might ruin your life a lot faster, but it's going to be a hell of a lot more fun.

(Just look at all the guys who post "There's this cute girl I know, should I ask her out?" in H/A.)

Tach

Detharin wrote: »

If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice -Freewill by Rush.

Indecision clouds my vision - Falling to Pieces, Faith No More.

Feral

Tach wrote: »

Detharin wrote: »

If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice -Freewill by Rush.

Indecision clouds my vision - Falling to Pieces, Faith No More.

Tach wins.

Drez

Squirminator2k wrote: »

I just had a conversation with a friend on Google Talk about the "merits" of indecision. She supposes that indecision can, at times, be a benefit as it prevents one from making a foolish or stupid decision. My response is that indecisiveness is an inherent weakness on all levels; a failure to come to a final decision either out of a lack of confidence in your own reasoning abilities or, occasionally, the result of being forced to make a particularly difficult choice.

There's a difference between weighing the possibilities and just flat out being unable to act upon your own conclusion.

I figured this would make an interesting topic for debate.

I'm not sure where I stand on this topic.

redx

Feral wrote: »

redx wrote: »

Between the two, I think the later can ruin your life a lot faster, but the former can accomplish the task just as surely.

The latter might ruin your life a lot faster, but it's going to be a hell of a lot more fun.

(Just look at all the guys who post "There's this cute girl I know, should I ask her out?" in H/A.)

I concur fully, which is why I alluded to a certain tragically flawed and suicidal prince. I don't really have to look further than myself and my neighbors for examples of either case.

I actually had a bit in there saying it less obliquely, but removed it before posting.

Septus

I'm of the opinion that indecision is an unfortunate flaw, but that basically everyone is bad at making decisions. I think there's a large body of work done by psychologists to show that people are very bad at predicting what will make them happy. But in the case of people who are indecisive, they probably end up with the same likelihood(if not worse) or making a decision that ends up being good, but they also pile the stress of indecision on top of that. I am a terribly indecisive person and it sucks balls.

VoodooV

There is a big difference between indecision and caution.

Caution is good in many cases. But if you're indecisive, move the fuck over and make room for someone else.

Incenjucar

It varies. It will be a negative more often than not in the average human life, but sometimes luck is on your side and things work out better with delays.

BioHaz594

Squirminator2k wrote: »

This is more or less my point. My friend suggests that as an indecisive person she's less prone to being directly responsible for bad things occurring in her life.

I have suggested, politely, to her that she is talking bollocks.

That same indecisiveness also prevents Good things from happening as well. She is talking out of her ass if she thinks that being indecisive is a good thing.

Not making a decision is still making a decision for another option like "decide for me" or "ignore it and it will go away."

Kriz

Squirminator2k wrote: »

Indecisiveness - Gift or Curse?

maybe

Scalfin

Call her decision to stake out a position of the merits of indecisiveness rash.

Rohan

Squirminator2k wrote: »

I just had a conversation with a friend on Google Talk about the "merits" of indecision. She supposes that indecision can, at times, be a benefit as it prevents one from making a foolish or stupid decision. My response is that indecisiveness is an inherent weakness on all levels; a failure to come to a final decision either out of a lack of confidence in your own reasoning abilities or, occasionally, the result of being forced to make a particularly difficult choice.

There's a difference between weighing the possibilities and just flat out being unable to act upon your own conclusion.

I figured this would make an interesting topic for debate.

Indecisiveness was a character trait of poor Louis XVI, and it didn't do him any good.

Synthesis

I'm indecisive as hell. Hell, sometimes ordering food can be worrisome.

But, there's a positive side to it. I'm surrounded by people my age who are not only decisive, but, coincidentally, frequently and perhaps dangerously idiotic when it comes to critical thinking. In other words, they are "rash".

So my indecisiveness can make me appear to be some sort of deeply rational, deliberate individual. Especially when my buddies are eating something disgusting or rolling around in pain on the ground.

They are very good friends of mine, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

sligmasta

indecision is a flaw. Purely because it is based in inability. it is when you are unable to decide

on the other hand, choosing to not decide due to lack of information is an entirely different thing, and is a strength

the main difference is that one is actively making a decision about something, where as the other is like taking what ever decision you're faced with and just handing it to the nearest person to make for you

Shadow_Dancer88

Synthesis wrote: »

I'm indecisive as hell. Hell, sometimes ordering food can be worrisome.

But, there's a positive side to it. I'm surrounded by people my age who are not only decisive, but, coincidentally, frequently and perhaps dangerously idiotic when it comes to critical thinking. In other words, they are "rash".

So my indecisiveness can make me appear to be some sort of deeply rational, deliberate individual. Especially when my buddies are eating something disgusting or rolling around in pain on the ground.

They are very good friends of mine, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Never thought of it that way, but I do tend to not get in trouble because I worry so much about the outcome, and then waffle so long that I don't take the chancy route because it closed. And tend to stay safe.

Like many have said it really all depends. Indecisivness can be a be both a curse and a gift. It is annoying when I can't choose what movie or food I want, but is great when someone suggests something that may cause trouble, and I waffle and stay safe.

Then again, when alone I am less indesicive. It tends to stem from a desire to please, so I don't want to make a choice and cause displeasure for someone. Or from fear when faced with a risky path, and a safe but less fun path.

Synthesis

Shadow_Dancer88 wrote: »

Synthesis wrote: »

I'm indecisive as hell. Hell, sometimes ordering food can be worrisome.

But, there's a positive side to it. I'm surrounded by people my age who are not only decisive, but, coincidentally, frequently and perhaps dangerously idiotic when it comes to critical thinking. In other words, they are "rash".

So my indecisiveness can make me appear to be some sort of deeply rational, deliberate individual. Especially when my buddies are eating something disgusting or rolling around in pain on the ground.

They are very good friends of mine, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Never thought of it that way, but I do tend to not get in trouble because I worry so much about the outcome, and then waffle so long that I don't take the chancy route because it closed. And tend to stay safe.

Like many have said it really all depends. Indecisivness can be a be both a curse and a gift. It is annoying when I can't choose what movie or food I want, but is great when someone suggests something that may cause trouble, and I waffle and stay safe.

Then again, when alone I am less indesicive. It tends to stem from a desire to please, so I don't want to make a choice and cause displeasure for someone. Or from fear when faced with a risky path, and a safe but less fun path.

Indecision should not be confused with absolutely crippling indecision. I am highly indecisive, but that doesn't keep me from being a busy, active individual.

Crippling indecision can be bad, but it is no worse than it's counterpart--unrestricted rashness. It is no worse to overthink things to the point of inaction than it is to never think things through at all. Indeed, people who are that active usually end up dead because of rather mundane things, like failure to look both ways before crossing the street simply because they were too rash.

I'll take being alive and mentally paralyzed over being dead and, well, dead. Of course, these are extremes, and as usual neither are ideal, but there are worse things than being indecisive. Like being bull-headed (I think that's the word for it?).

Shadow_Dancer88

Synthesis wrote: »

Shadow_Dancer88 wrote: »

Synthesis wrote: »

I'm indecisive as hell. Hell, sometimes ordering food can be worrisome.

But, there's a positive side to it. I'm surrounded by people my age who are not only decisive, but, coincidentally, frequently and perhaps dangerously idiotic when it comes to critical thinking. In other words, they are "rash".

So my indecisiveness can make me appear to be some sort of deeply rational, deliberate individual. Especially when my buddies are eating something disgusting or rolling around in pain on the ground.

They are very good friends of mine, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Never thought of it that way, but I do tend to not get in trouble because I worry so much about the outcome, and then waffle so long that I don't take the chancy route because it closed. And tend to stay safe.

Like many have said it really all depends. Indecisivness can be a be both a curse and a gift. It is annoying when I can't choose what movie or food I want, but is great when someone suggests something that may cause trouble, and I waffle and stay safe.

Then again, when alone I am less indesicive. It tends to stem from a desire to please, so I don't want to make a choice and cause displeasure for someone. Or from fear when faced with a risky path, and a safe but less fun path.

Indecision should not be confused with absolutely crippling indecision. I am highly indecisive, but that doesn't keep me from being a busy, active individual.

Crippling indecision can be bad, but it is no worse than it's counterpart--unrestricted rashness. It is no worse to overthink things to the point of inaction than it is to never think things through at all. Indeed, people who are that active usually end up dead because of rather mundane things, like failure to look both ways before crossing the street simply because they were too rash.

I'll take being alive and mentally paralyzed over being dead and, well, dead. Of course, these are extremes, and as usual neither are ideal, but there are worse things than being indecisive. Like being bull-headed (I think that's the word for it?).

I think that is an even better point. Too often things are taken to the extreme. There is no middle or gray allowed. But as we both show, there is a gray, and that gray can have many positive aspect, and some annoying ones as well.

I'd rather be alive as well, and I know that my 'indecisive nature' has at the very least kept me out of harms way.