underused

from Either/Or: A Life Fragment by Søren Kierkegaard

Lately, I've had several conversations about the difficulty of making decisions--especially when faced with sets of similar options. Sooner or later we find ourselves stuck, worrying we'll make the wrong choice.

But the notion of a "wrong" choice implies there's a "right" one--one with no disadvantages. I find it liberating to think there may be neither. Whatever we choose will come with a measure of disappointment (or satisfaction) that often depends more on our own perception than on the thing itself.

(Disclaimer: I'm referring to relatively harmless choices that are somewhat matched and not obviously terrible. Between "should I betray a friend or eat a salad" I hope we can agree one comes with notably fewer regrets.)