Why is it so frequent and, at the same time, so important to talk about the fear of choosing?
We live surrounded by the need for choice and decision-making . These moments, which are presented to us on a daily basis, can be a source of anguish for many people, even when faced with minor choices or decisions. However, the topic is broadened even more when it comes to bigger elections, and the debate over pros and cons can leave the person paralyzed.
The choice is an action that symbolizes the path, the start, and, if it is genuine, it can be the expression of identity or of one’s own essence. To genuinely choose is, in short, to make the world aware of something about ourselves. Choosing is a way out of a state of perpetuity, of similarity, to enter the terrain of the new or the different. This is not always well tolerated, because it implies, as we said before, losing some control.
The choice is therefore essential to be able to promote changes. There are choices that are difficult and that involve suffering, but in pursuit of a new future situation. Going through that time hinge of mobilization and change is necessary to be able to reach that other state, that new situation.
In many cases, choice and change is also associated with the idea of growing. A ferrarse to the known can then be associated with a child, or perpetuation of a previous state position. The abandonment of this relative calm or structure that has already been assimilated can generate stress or anxiety.
We can also talk about the fear of being wrong, or the fear of risk. Choosing implies the possibility of opting for an option that may later be considered wrong or that causes the individual to regret. The fear of “choosing the wrong” and then not being able to go back is one of the great reasons why the choice is often delayed or stopped.
The fear of risk encompasses a little of the aforementioned. Losing control, a previous state of continuity, a “comfort zone” to put it another way, is a risk . And as such many times difficult to face. There are individuals who constantly avoid risk, and not choosing is a defensive mode, a form of self-protection.
Recognizing the fears and anxieties that come into play at the time of elections or decision-making on a day-to-day basis allows us to delve into what activates or triggers it, allowing us to raise awareness a little more and make our responses more flexible to this type of situations.
