Decision making
None of this is expert advice. It's what people worked out for themselves, usually the hard way — what actually helped, and what they'd tell someone standing where you are. Take what fits and leave the rest.
If you only read a few
Love the right people more and spend more time with family.
Spending quality time with loved ones is one of the few things of value in short lives; elderly people often regret not spending more time with family.
3 people, independently
Choose to endure the hard work now rather than facing harder consequences for the rest of your life.
Failing to work hard now means working hard for the rest of your life.
2 people, independently
Print or sketch the design and display it prominently for several months; proceed with the tattoo only if you still like it after that period.
It allows you to confirm your desire for the tattoo before committing to ink.
3 people, independently
Choose your path and deal with the results, spending zero percent of your time stressing over whether it was the right choice.
To relax.
one person who lived it
Focus on the 80% you can do right now rather than the 20% you cannot, to avoid doing nothing.
Focusing on what you cannot do leads to doing 0%.
one person who lived it
regret, time, person, even58
Do not wait for perfect conditions; take action to make things better instead of suffering and waiting.
Get out of a commitment when you know it is wrong, even if it is the day before.
It is never too late.
one person who lived it
Wait at least 24 hours or sleep on a decision before quitting something.
Sleeping on emotional decisions helps avoid rash actions.
- Some people find satisfaction in rage quitting.
- Immediate action worked for one person quitting smoking.
one person who lived it
Learn to be happy and self-enough without relying on a partner for validation or worth.
4 people, independently
Ask yourself if complaining will solve the issue; if not, choose to let it go.
Most times, it won't
one person who lived it
52 more on this
Always have a plan or roadmap for how you should spend your time.
It reduces the amount of time spent in decision making.
one person who lived it
If you stay with family out of fear of letting them down, recognize that this prevents you from living your own life.
One person reported staying with their mother into their mid-thirties because they were afraid of letting her down, resulting in not living their own life.
one person who lived it
Watch Barry Schwartz's TED Talk 'Paradox of Choice' if you enjoy such talks, as it addresses this issue.
It speaks to the topic of choice paralysis.
- Only suggested if you like TED Talks.
one person who lived it
Balance searching for the perfect path with taking action.
Searching all your life leaves no time to carry out any plan.
one person who lived it
Consume a mix of news sources and avoid social media to prevent self-created echo chambers.
Helps a lot!
one person who lived it
Accept what has happened without regrets and work forward.
One person believes they would never be who they are today if events hadn't happened exactly as they did.
one person who lived it
Do something rather than just thinking about it.
You will regret both acting and not acting.
one person who lived it
Pause for about five seconds to deliberate before speaking or acting on important matters.
To allow your rational brain to question if the action is a good idea.
one person who lived it
Try to fix regrets even if afraid, because inaction guarantees regret.
You will never know the outcome if you do not try, which leads to real regret.
one person who lived it
- Try things knowing that while failure leaves you empty-handed like not trying, attempting yields know-how and avoids regret.1
Apply a grain of salt when dealing with biases overall.
The brain needs to get things done and doesn't have time to worry about getting everything correct.
one person who lived it
Recognize sunk cost fallacy and let go of investments where continuing won't make a difference.
We often invest too much in things we don't want to let go of, even when we know it won't make a difference.
one person who lived it
Speak up for yourself and defend your position to avoid regretting staying quiet.
Staying quiet and not defending yourself leads to regret.
one person who lived it
Accept that switching careers multiple times is normal; one person found each switch made them happier than the last.
- Based on one person's experience of switching four times.
one person who lived it
Reject the belief that you are too old or too late, recognizing it as a fallacy.
one person who lived it
Seek out sources that present both sides and a middle ground.
Even-handed sources help form informed opinions.
one person who lived it
Respect your boundaries and do not ignore red flags, as your intuition exists for a reason.
Your intuition may be developing, but it is there for a reason.
one person who lived it
Accept that starting and stopping many things is a normal part of exploring and resting, not a sign of failure.
Starting and stopping many things does not make you a failure; it means you are exploring, resting, and starting again.
one person who lived it
Focus on making better decisions.
It is a huge benefit in both personal and professional life.
one person who lived it
Leave if making your partner happy feels like an endless list or if they find fault in things you do well.
one person who lived it
When facing a difficult decision, consider doing nothing as a valid option.
Sometimes doing nothing allows wounds to heal rather than reopening them.
- One person reported using this tip their whole life and feeling 'fucked'.
one person who lived it
Stop regretting missed opportunities from the past and look for the ones you are missing right now.
It becomes harder to follow this advice as you get older, making it more important.
one person who lived it
Do not wait for perfect conditions; take action to make things better instead of suffering and waiting.
6 people, independently
Make a choice quickly, as indecision causes opportunities to decay and disappear.
Choices die if you don't pick one.
one person who lived it
When struggling to do the right thing, ask yourself if you will regret doing it more than you will regret not doing it.
2 people, independently
- Make decisions by asking which option you are more likely to regret, choosing the lesser evil based on reasoning.1
Pause before agreeing to requests to work out your capacity, preventing over-commitment and shoddy work quality.
Saying yes to everything to please others often leads to doing a poor job because resources are spread too thin.
one person who lived it
Take the Big Five Factor Personality Model test.
It is a personality test that stands out among many online options.
one person who lived it
Focus on what you do after school rather than grades, as employers often care little about GPA or where you graduated.
One person with D-F grades outshone peers post-school; another noted employers rarely ask about GPA or graduation institution.
one person who lived it
Treat all workplace communications as if superiors will hear them, because they likely will over time.
Superiors will eventually hear what is said.
one person who lived it
Openly disclose your biases to others and invite them to challenge you.
This encourages questioning and defending of beliefs.
2 people, independently
Stop romanticizing missed opportunities by recognizing that outcomes are uncertain and could have been negative.
You have no idea how things would have gone; you could have ended up crippled, stranded, or sick.
one person who lived it
Always ask about the possibility of a refund before committing to a pressured decision.
If there is no refund option, it is probably a trap.
one person who lived it
Do not reveal that you are using a pop-culture reference when withdrawing support.
It ruins everything.
one person who lived it
Treat indecision as a decision and set your own deadlines to avoid being forced by external circumstances.
Realizing that not deciding is itself a choice can break the cycle of endless brainstorming for a perfect solution.
one person who lived it
Do not let laziness cause you to miss opportunities to spend time with loved ones.
one person who lived it
Aim for continuous pursuit rather than perpetual perfection, which leads to inaction.
Perpetual perfection is a roadblock that leads to inaction.
one person who lived it
Mark commitments on a calendar or tell close friends and family to create accountability for yourself.
To motivate yourself to complete the task.
one person who lived it
Share your initial intuition or guess immediately, but clarify that you will provide a more researched answer later.
Verbalizing first thoughts can spark new lines of thinking, even if they are wrong.
one person who lived it
Maintain balance between enjoying life and responsible behaviors like saving money and building a career.
one person who lived it
Stop thinking and start doing the task immediately; action often resolves indecision better than further analysis.
Once you get one thing going, everything follows.
one person who lived it
Imagine your enemy wants to ruin your research to identify potential biases.
Considering what an adversary would target helps reveal weaknesses in your methods or approach.
one person who lived it
When choosing between options that are roughly equal ('on a par'), commit fully to one option to define who you are, rather than waiting for external reasons to dictate the choice.
one person who lived it
Change yourself through intentional thinking rather than impulsive reaction, as it is never too late to do so even if past events cannot be changed.
one person who lived it
Regulate your emotions to avoid alienating friends.
One person attributed alienating friends to selfishly failing to regulate their emotions.
one person who lived it
Avoid making major commitments when exhausted, starved, or physically depleted.
One person proposed immediately after a week of exhaustion and starvation, later realizing they would not have made that decision if well-fed and rested.
one person who lived it
Scrutinize data presentation and methodology before accepting conclusions.
Visual framing can easily manipulate bias and force a specific conclusion from the same data.
one person who lived it
Present valid evidence alongside your personal bias.
Subjective experiences do not vanish even when verifiable facts exist.
one person who lived it
Be courageous and adventurous, doing stuff you haven't done before to truly live rather than just exist.
2 people, independently
Start saving money, investing, and paying for retirement early.
3 people, independently
Order the first appealing item on a restaurant menu without reviewing the entire list.
Choosing between multiple appealing options can lead to regret if the selected meal is disappointing.
one person who lived it
Read 'How To Lie With Statistics' to understand statistical manipulation.
One reader found it an eye-opener for understanding how statistics can be misleading.
one person who lived it
Recognize that reasonable obligations and guilt stemming from actual wrongdoing are valid factors in decision-making.
Obligation is necessary to maintain relationships and community membership.
one person who lived it
Read Chip Heath's 'Decisive' for a detailed guide on decision-making.
3 people, independently
tattoo, artist, tattoos, meaning18
Consult with a tattoo artist beforehand to discuss broad ideas and trust their expertise in designing and placing the tattoo.
Wait and save money rather than settling for a cheap artist if you cannot afford a skilled one.
Waiting is better than having poor-quality work permanently applied to your body.
- For small, simple pieces, supporting beginner artists is acceptable if they can achieve your desired result.
one person who lived it
Avoid face, neck, or crotch tattoos unless they hold significant cultural meaning.
Such placements can limit career choices and social acceptance.
- Face tattoos may be acceptable if they have real cultural significance, such as Maori traditions.
one person who lived it
Avoid sleeping directly on a fresh tattoo.
Leaking ink can dull the tattoo.
one person who lived it
Place your first tattoo in a location that is not highly visible or prominent.
It is less consequential if you regret it.
one person who lived it
14 more on this
Divide the price of a tattoo by the number of years you plan on wearing it to work out the cost.
This helps determine if the yearly price is too steep.
one person who lived it
Expect larger, full-color pieces and tattoos in hard-to-tattoo areas like hands to cost more.
They take longer and are prone to fading.
one person who lived it
Use tattoo numbing cream for the first 45 minutes of the procedure.
It works very well during that initial period.
one person who lived it
Avoid getting deep, meaningful text or quotes from books and songs tattooed.
Your interpretation of their meaning may change over time, leading to regret.
one person who lived it
Research extensively and travel far if necessary to find an artist whose style matches your vision.
Ensures you get the specific end result you imagine.
one person who lived it
Include your budget in initial booking requests to ensure alignment on pricing from the start.
It ensures you are on the same page immediately and allows flexible artists to work within your constraints.
one person who lived it
Choose a tattoo location based on personal preference rather than pain tolerance.
If you are permanently marking your body, pain should not be the deciding factor.
- Pain levels can vary unexpectedly by location (e.g., top of foot, back of calf).
one person who lived it
Politely decline a quote by stating it is above your budget instead of ghosting the artist.
It is more considerate than ignoring them.
one person who lived it
Trust an artist's advice against a specific placement or design as professional insight rather than gatekeeping.
Artists are offering expertise, not excluding you from a club.
one person who lived it
Consult with a tattoo artist beforehand to discuss broad ideas and trust their expertise in designing and placing the tattoo.
3 people, independently
Do not design your own tattoos; instead, let an artist execute the idea to avoid disappointment from unrealistic expectations.
An artist cannot replicate the exact image in your brain, and built-up expectations are likely unrealistic.
one person who lived it
Follow your specific tattoo artist's aftercare instructions rather than general advice.
Following their advice prevents them from blaming you for aftercare issues.
one person who lived it
Consider using a manuscript style for Arabic tattoos rather than standard translation output.
A manuscript style may be aesthetically superior to standard translations, though native speakers may still approve of the latter.
one person who lived it
Research the cultural or historical meaning of symbols before getting them tattooed to avoid unintended offensive associations.
2 people, independently
Distinguish between things you merely want to do and things you are driven to do by finding your internal drive.
To address an overall lack of commitment.
one person who lived it
Distinguish between what you want and what you actually need.
Wanting and needing are distinguishable; for example, you might want soda but need water when thirsty.
one person who lived it
When considering quitting, choose between the pain of changing and the pain of staying the same.
one person who lived it
Understand that deciding means cutting off other choices.
Decision in its Latin root means 'TO CUT OFF'.
one person who lived it
1 more on this
Decide whether to DIY or hire help based on your individual skill sets, interests, and owned equipment.
Botched DIY attempts can destroy appliances completely.
one person who lived it