Impulsive Decisions: Between Regrets and Reassurance

Lulo dh
2 min readOct 21, 2022

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People tend to think there are two kinds of personalities: the overthinkers versus the “chillaxed” ones. But these times proved there was an in-between temper: anxious people who every now and then make impulsive decisions (and then regret them, of course). In that scenario, what about spontaneous choices that leave subjects with a guilty conscience?

First things first: does overthinking lead people towards a better decision? Nobody would dare to say that, but maybe after a lot of introspection, they get to a point where they are at peace with their choices, which is not quite the same thing as being happy with their decision. Meanwhile, impulsive judgements tend to be made at a second of security but afterwards, they initiate the paths of doubts and anxiety full of “should haves” and “would haves”.

Which leaves us thinking: are impulsive choices so erratic? Yes and no. It is true that they reflect people’s personality in an instant since they leave them no chance to analyze their actions. Taking that into account, it seems fair to say that they can be more honest and closer to their true selves. But in other circumstances, these decisions are made “in the heat of the moment”, influenced by other people and external factors. So, making impulsive picks as a way of living might be a double-edged sword.

According to that way of thinking, big decisions should require more analysis, taking into account that huge choices often carry consequences to deal with. For example, quitting a job without analyzing its consequences can be a great life-changing action if it is the result of the oppression felt throughout a long time, but it would probably be a poor decision if there is no back-up plan.

But maybe small decisions or daily choices can be made more impulsively. First of all, because it would free people from the burden of overthinking every single action. But also, because it could lead to a life where every individual is allowed to be more honest and feel pleased with the choices made. If people are capable of smashing their anxiety walls, at least for little things, maybe routine will have a sweeter taste.

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Lulo dh
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Lic. en Periodismo (USAL), editora (UBA), maestranda en Comunicación. Colaboradora en Editorial Perfil. Los invito a conocer algunos de mis trabajos publicados.