Over the past few months I have been faced with several impossible decisions. They all involved potential opportunities with real benefits, but hazy and unclear, but real downsides. When I looked at them it was easy to imagine scenarios where the downsides clearly outweighed the upsides and where the upsides clearly outweighed the downsides.
The thing that made it impossible was that the variables that differentiated the upside vs downside outcomes where completely unknowable and largely beyond my control even at the point that I got there. There were no clear choices. There were no intellectually satisfying strategies that could be used to come to a decision.
I talked to wise people about what to do. I didn't get much back. I mostly got "you should pray about it" answers. To be honest I hate that answer. I don't disagree with it, but in my past experience the answer is never "go do this". I end up making a decision and I only see how it turned out afterwards. I like being sure.
Well, I did pray. I did ask. I pushed for more information on the different options I had. Then all of a sudden the decision I was leaning towards just didn't work. It might have been able to, but it got to that point where trying to do it anymore was just unreasonably convoluted to the point that it didn't look like an option anymore. So that was the answer. It was quite satisfying to be honest.
Now I'm in the middle of another one. I guess I will try again and see what happens.
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