Is Mass Effect a Cure for Paralysis of Analysis?

I have struggled with indecision born of perfectionism. It seems to be related to loss aversion, .ie., the fear of missing out (FOMO). I knew this was something I needed to work through, and I found some help in a videogame series known as Mass Effect.

In Mass Effect, you are forced to make decisions that have lasting consequences for the rest of the game and even future games. Characters and people groups will potentially live or die by the choices you make. Additionally, the game permits your choices to be misunderstood, leading to unexpected outcomes. All-in-all this game caused me some anxiety.

I always wanted to make the perfect decision, but there’s not always enough information to make the best decision. Additionally, even seemingly well-thought-out choices don’t always lead to the best outcomes. I decided to use this game for my growth by never changing a previous choice. Doing this enabled me to make decisions associated with leadership without the same level of consequence. I also had to work through various negative emotions that would plague me as played.

It definitely helped me accommodate to the pain of making the “wrong” choices. It helped me remember that even if you make all the supposedly right choices, you still get less than desirable outcomes. It ended up being more difficult than I thought, but it was rewarding.

Suppose you are struggling with perfectionism or related weaknesses. In that case, I’d recommend you try Mass Effect, but if you’re not into video games, the principle still holds.

1. Find an activity that will activate your indecision, preferably an activity with a quick feedback loop.
2. Give yourself a short time limit to make a decision.
3. Work through any adverse feelings you get from the process, preferably with a friend/counselor.

I didn’t approach this as a blank slate. I already had some decision-making shortcuts that helped with the mildly consequently choices. For example, if I wasn’t sure about a decision, I would go with my initial gut instinct. Other times, if the decision is far beyond my ability to grapple, I might introduce randomness, a coin flip. Having some good strategies will definitely help.