The Psychology of People Who Keep Doubting Their Decisions

You make a decision, but the comparison keeps running. You reopen old options, imagine the paths you didn't choose, and keep second-guessing whether you made the wrong choice. This video explores why some people keep doubting their decisions, even after they have already chosen. We look at the psychology of indecisiveness, maximizing, intolerance of uncertainty, counterfactual thinking, and anticipated regret. You'll also learn how to give a decision a clear finish line: • Three Anchors: decide what matters most before new information changes your standards • Reversibility Check: match the amount of research to the real stakes of the choice • Review Date: stop comparing for a set period and learn from the option you actually chose We'll follow Rachel through a current career decision between a stable job with benefits and a contract role that offers more growth but less security. 📥 Free Download: The Decision Closing Sheet (PDF) https://theunordinarymind.com/b/5XcNI This guided worksheet helps you define your three anchors, decide what information is enough, check how reversible a choice is, and choose a date to review it. Watch next: Career Strategy For People With Too Many Interests (The M-Shaped Future)    • Career Strategy For People With Too Many I...   Timestamps: 00:00 The Decision That Never Ends 01:04 You May Know What You Want 01:54 Why You Keep Seeking Certainty 02:39 Imagining the Life You Didn’t Choose 03:31 Give Your Decision a Finish Line 05:50 A Real-Life Example 07:47 Building Self-Trust 📚 Research & References: Preference Evaluation & Indecisiveness: Appel, H., Englich, B., & Burghardt, J. (2021). "I Know What I Like" - Indecisiveness Is Unrelated to Behavioral Indicators of Evaluation Difficulties. Across four studies, indecisiveness showed no systematic relationship with the measured evaluation difficulties for familiar everyday objects. Intolerance of Uncertainty: Appel, H., & Gerlach, A. L. (2025). Intolerance of uncertainty causally affects indecisiveness. Experimental evidence showing that increasing intolerance of uncertainty increased indecisiveness in personally relevant decisions. Maximizing vs. Satisficing: Schwartz, B., Ward, A., Monterosso, J., Lyubomirsky, S., White, K., & Lehman, D. R. (2002). Maximizing Versus Satisficing: Happiness Is a Matter of Choice. Foundational research on the search for the best possible option, social comparison, regret, and decision satisfaction. Counterfactual Thinking: Roese, N. J. (1997). Counterfactual Thinking. A major review explaining how imagined alternatives to the past can shape emotion and causal understanding. Reversible Decisions: Gilbert, D. T., & Ebert, J. E. J. (2002). Decisions and Revisions: The Affective Forecasting of Changeable Outcomes. Research showing that keeping a decision changeable can interfere with psychological processes that support satisfaction with the chosen outcome. This video is for education and self-reflection only. It is not personal medical, mental health, legal, immigration, financial, or career advice. For high-stakes or irreversible decisions, consider getting independent advice from a qualified professional. #DecisionMaking #Overthinking #Indecisiveness