The Critical Choice Between Ham & Tuna

A few days ago I left my office in search of breakfast. If nothing else, I was certain I wanted a sandwich, and there's a pharmacy nearby that sells nice sandwiches. To the pharmacy I headed.

They had some nice, big, filling sandwiches. On the day in question there was the option of ham and cheese or tuna. Immediately I was caught in two minds... My heart wanted the ham and cheese, but my head wanted the tuna. I stood in front of the cash register staring at the sandwiches as if I was willing them to make a decision on my behalf. It was as if my life hung in the balance of my morning dietary decision.

One of my biggest weaknesses is how indecisive I am (aside: the worst group of people to work together is a group of indecisive people... It's torture!). I hate having to consider options, and the more options there are, the greater the headache I get. That explains why tuna versus ham and cheese became so critical- I needed to make sure I made the 'right' choice in satisfying my hunger.

And that's the essential problem with indecisive people (like me) -  they worry much about the decisions they make ultimately proving to be the 'wrong' ones. It proves to be the reason I tend to order the same meal every time I go to a particular fast food place. I know that I love KFC barbeque chicken, and even though on a particular day I may feel for something else, I resist the urge to try something different for fear that I will dislike my choice. I envision barbeque as a sure thing, and anything else as a risk.

My boss had me watch a video once called 'The Paradox of Choice'. In it, the speaker made the point that having too many choices leads to less satisfaction, and that in fact, the key to true happiness is a lack of choices. He made a very compelling argument, and I was forced to agree with most all of what he said, given my personality. I am indeed human testimony.

Back to my breakfast story. I walked out of the pharmacy with a tuna sandwich... I also walked out of the store with a ham and cheese sandwich... I also walked out of the store feeling like such a fool for not being able to make such a simple decision. Truth is, had I only bought one, I could easily see myself dreaming about how good the other one would've been.

Poor me.