Analysis Paralysis

 

Analysis Paralysis

In one of Aesop's fable, “The Fox and the Cat”, the fox boasts of hundreds of ways of escaping while the cat has only one. When they hear the hounds approaching, the cat scampers up a tree while the fox in his confusion gets caught up by the hounds. The fable ends with the moral, "Better one safe way than a hundred on which you cannot reckon".

Analysis Paralysis is used to describe a state, when over thinking or over analysing a situation can paralyze our decision making, putting us in a situation of stand still. 

There are a number of reasons, why we don’t make decisions quickly. It could be, because of the fear of making a wrong decision and the implications thereof, or it could be due to our unrealistic expectations of arriving at a better solution and thereby waiting endlessly, keeping all options open, without deciding. Of course, decisions should not be made in haste, and it is wise to be cautious, before arriving at a decision. But the truth is, the longer we wait, the many opportunities we might miss. There is an apt quote “the early bird catches the worm” which implies that the quicker we seize an opportunity, the faster we can grow. So, when we don’t respond fast enough, we not only lose out on opportunities, but stagnate our personal or organisational growth too.

We have all heard that, “Knowledge is Power” and it is an irony that sometimes it is the same knowledge that feel like a curse and make us feel powerless. It can cripple us. When we become aware of the all the things happening around us, it could lead us to feel a sense of overwhelm and anxiety, which can in turn become a stumbling block for growth.

 

I would like to draw an example, from  my own life, as to how my approach towards business changed after my first visit to China. I was into Export – Import Business, and I was doing a reasonable volume of business. I visited China, with an interest to develop my business, but my visit proved to be counterproductive, because of what I observed and learnt from my interactions, with the Chinese businessmen there. Looking at the size of their factories, production capacity, their aggressive nature of clinching business deals, their manipulative pricing strategies, I started to find myself irrelevant, in the big game. It greatly altered my perception of business, which made me lose confidence in my own business and put me in a state of stagnation.

On the other hand, I have come across many businessmen, who are not so knowledgeable, yet are highly successful. They seem to trust their gut instincts and make the decisions. And in many cases, it has worked in their favour. It reminds me of the lyrics of one of the old Tamil songs, “புத்தி உள்ள மனிதரெல்லாம் வெற்றி காண்பதில்லை…. வெற்றி பெற்ற மனிதரெல்லாம் புத்திசாலி இல்லை.”

 

I am not here to say "Ignorance is bliss", though it sometimes feels true. There is an interesting concept, that says, “Aerodynamically, the bumblebee shouldn't be able to fly, but the bumblebee doesn't know that, so it goes on flying anyway.” I am not sure, if there is any scientific truth behind this, but this seems to apply well, in many real-life scenarios.

 

So next time, you feel stuck and not able to move on, ask yourself, “Am I caught up in an Analysis Paralysis trap?”. Be aware that too much of knowledge, can lead to too much of data and too much of data can lead to too much of analysis and ultimately too much of analysis can lead to paralysis of action, which can be detrimental to our growth.

 

There is no point sitting over ideas, without acting upon them. Success in today’s world, doesn’t always belong to the smartest, but to the fastest person.  The people who are making rapid progress in life, are not the ones who are well informed, but the ones who have the ability to think and act fast.

D. Senthil Kannan,

Managing Trustee, PALMS, Tuticorin.

Author of "Transformational Thoughts" - A Journey of learning 

Email: senthilkannand@gmail.com