What if we were to overthink the best possible scenarios, too?
When we hear the term overthinker, we naturally think about people ruminating on risks and negative outcomes. That makes sense, for we have a tendency to think about the downsides due to the way our minds are wired.
In behavioural science, there are two concepts which are extremely important to understand: loss aversion and regret aversion.
Loss aversion is an aversion to possible losses stemming from a decision. Regret aversion is our tendency to avoid decisions that might leave us thinking, I wish I hadn’t done that.
Together, they can leave us paralysed when faced with decisions involving risk and uncertainty.
Even the word risk can feel threatening. It carries a negative association so we often focus only on what we could lose. Psychologically, losses affect us twice as large as equally sized gains, so we are more attuned to downside risks.
What we often fail to see or truly appreciate when we are in that fearful state is that risk is inherently linked to return. Yes, risk creates the possibility of loss. But it is also what creates the possibility of reward.
We may understand that concept well in theory.
Yet when applied to our own lives, we often fixate on the risks because they feel immediate, obvious, and easily quantifiable. The return, by contrast, is uncertain, delayed, and much harder to quantify.
But the richness of life is tied to experience.
There is no guarantee that every risk will pay off. But the risks are often not as large or material as we imagine, and even when things do not go to plan, the learning can still enrich our lives in ways we only understand later.
Importantly, recognise that inaction is still a conscious action.
Choosing to stay in your comfort zone is still a choice. Staying where you are carries its own risks too.
What if it doesn't work out?
What if it does all work out?
Trust yourself.
— AJ
On my bedside table:
📖 Non-fiction: The Happiness Trap by Russ Harris
💬 Quote: “Treading water is the same as drowning for people like you and me” - Frank Underwood, House of Cards
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