You're probably familiar with FOMO.
你可能對「FOMO」 這個概念不陌生。
[This guy invented the term]
[ 是他發明了這個詞 ]
That's short for "Fear Of Missing Out." It's that feeling you get when it seems everyone else is doing something better than what you're doing now. But there's another FO you need to know about, and it's far more dangerous. It's called FOBO, and it's short for "Fear Of a Better Option."
那是「錯失恐懼症」的縮寫 (fear of missing out)。 當你覺得其他人在做的事 看上去都比你的厲害時, 你會有這種感覺。 可是其實還有一個 你該知道的恐懼症 比「 FOMO」 更危險, 稱為「FOBO」, 即「更優選擇恐懼症」的縮寫 (fear of a better option)。
[The Way We Work]
[ 我們的工作方式 ]
We live in a world of overwhelming choice. Even decisions that used to be simple, like choosing a restaurant or making everyday purchases, are now fraught with overanalysis. Technology has only made the issue more pronounced. If you want to buy a pair of white shoelaces online, you have to sort through thousands of items and read through hundreds of reviews. That's an astounding amount of information to process to just buy two pieces of string that cost less than your morning latte.
這世上充滿了太多「選擇」。 甚至有些曾經很簡單的決定, 例如「去哪吃飯」或「買什麼東西」, 現在都得反覆斟酌。 科技只會讓問題更加明顯。 如果你要網購兩根白色鞋帶, 得在上千個商品中反覆挑選, 還得看上百條評論。 要處理的資訊多得驚人。 而這一切,只是為了買比你 晨間拿鐵還便宜的兩根繩子。
Chances are you've experienced FOBO when you've struggled to choose just one from a group of perfectly acceptable outcomes. It's a symptom of a culture which sees value in collecting and preserving as many options as possible.
你也許經歷過 FOBO, 情況可能是要在若干 完美可接受的選項裡萬中選一。 這種症狀出現在 崇尚「多多益善」的社會文化中。
You might wonder why all of this is so bad. It seems counterintuitive. Shouldn't it be a privilege to have so many good options to choose from? The problem is, FOBO induces such severe analysis paralysis that it can negatively impact both your personal and professional life. When you can't make decisions with conviction, you waste precious time and energy.
你可能會問:這有什麼不好的? 似乎與直覺告訴我們的正相反。 能從那麼多好的選項中作出選擇, 不是一件好事嗎? 問題就在於 FOBO 會導致 嚴重的分析癱瘓, 可能對你的生活和工作 產生負面影響。 當你不能堅定地做出决定時, 會浪費寶貴的時間和精力。
Luckily, there is a way to overcome FOBO. Here's a secret. With any decision you make, you first have to determine the stakes, as this will inform your decision-making strategy. When it comes down to it, you only really face three types of decisions in life: high stakes, low stakes and no stakes.
幸好 FOBO 是可以克服的。 而祕訣是: 在做出決定前, 你首先要確定它的風險, 這樣就能製定決定策略。 歸根究柢, 我們人生中只會有三類決定: 高風險、低風險和無風險。
Let's start with no-stakes decisions. These are the minor details of life, where there is almost never an incorrect answer, and in a few hours, you won't even remember making the decision. A good example of this is choosing what to watch on TV. With thousands of shows, it's easy to get overwhelmed, yet no matter what you pick, the consequences are basically nonexistent. So spending more than a few moments on FOBO is a massive waste of energy. You just need to move on.
首先來看無風險決定。 [ 無風險決定 ] 生活中有些小細節 永遠沒有錯誤答案, 幾小時後,你甚至不會記得 你做出了什麼決定。 選擇要看哪個電視節目 就是很好的例子。 成千上萬的電視節目 足以讓你手足無措, 但不管你選擇哪個節目 基本上都不會有什麼後果。 所以,花時間在這種問題上 就會浪費太多精力。 你只需要做了就好。
When it comes to no-stakes decisions, the key is to outsource them to the universe. For example, you can whittle down your choices to just two and then flip a coin. Or try my personal favorite -- ask the watch. Assign each one of your choices to one half of your watch, then let the second hand tell you what you're going to do. Looks like I'll be having the fish.
完成無風險決定的祕訣 就是聽天由命。 比如:你可以將選擇精簡為兩種, 然後拋硬幣。 或選擇我最喜歡的方法——問手錶。 手錶的兩半代表你的不同選項, 秒針走在哪個半面, 你就得選哪個。 看來我得吃魚。
That brings us to low-stakes decisions. These have consequences, but none are earth-shattering, and there are plenty of acceptable outcomes. Many routine things at work, like purchasing a printer, booking a hotel or choosing between possible venues for an off-site are classically low-stakes in nature. Some thinking is required, but these aren't make-or-break deliberations, and you'll probably forget about them in a few weeks. Here, you can also outsource decision-making, but you want some critical thinking involved, as there are some stakes. This time, you'll outsource to a person.
現在來看看低風險決定。 [ 低風險決定 ] 這些決定會產生後果, 但影響微乎其微, 而且選項的結果大多可以接受。 很多工作上的例行公事, 比如「買哪臺影印機?」 「訂哪間旅館?」 「在哪裡舉辦公司活動?」 都是典型的低風險決定。 這些決定需要你稍微考慮一下, 但就算選錯了也沒什麼大不了, 你過幾週可能就會忘記這件事。 當然你也可以再來一次「聽天由命」, 但畢竟風險還是存在, 所以你最好認真思考一番。 這一次你可以請求外援。
Set some basic criteria, select someone to present a recommendation, and then take their advice. Make sure to avoid the temptation to canvass. Your goal is to clear your plate, not to kick the can down the road.
先設定一些基本標準, 然後請別人提出建議, 並聽從他們的建議。 你千萬不要嘗試說服他們, 因為你的目的是解决問題, 而不是把問題踢給別人。
Now that you tackled low-stakes and no-stakes decisions, you've created the space and time you'll need to handle high-stakes decisions. These are things like "which house should I buy" or "which job should I accept." Since the stakes are high and there are long-term implications, you absolutely want to get it right.
現在你解决了低風險和無風險決定, 你就把時間和空間 都留給了高風險決定。 [ 高風險決定 ] 你會遇到「要買哪間房子?」 或「去哪裡工作?」之類的問題。 既然風險高且會帶來長期影響, 你一定想做出正確決定。
Before we get to work, let's establish a few basic principles to guide you through the process. First, think about what really matters to you, and set your criteria accordingly.
開始之前,我們先 確立一些基本原則, 來引導你做出正確決定。 其一,認真思考 對你來說真正重要的東西, 並以此設定標準。
Second, gather the relevant facts. Make sure you collect data about all of the options, so you can be confident that you're truly making an informed decision.
其二,收集相關事實。 確保你清楚瞭解所有選擇了, 這樣你就能自信地說 你的決定有依有據。
And third, remember that FOBO, by nature, comes when you struggle to choose just one from a group of perfectly acceptable options. So no matter what you choose, you can rest assured that the downside is limited.
其三,記住 FOBO 一般來說 會在你面對好幾個完美可行的選擇, 而你只能選擇其中一個時出現。 所以無論你選哪個, 你大可放心,
Now that you've established some ground rules,
因為每個選擇的不利因素都有限。
the process can begin. Start by identifying a front-runner based on your intuition, then compare each of your options head-to-head with the front-runner, one-by-one. Each time, choose the better of the two based on the criteria, and discard the other one. Here's the trick to avoiding FOBO. When you eliminate an option, it's gone forever. If you keep returning to discarded options, you risk getting stuck. Now repeat this process until you get down to one final choice.
現在一些基本原則已確立, 你可以開始選擇了。 首先憑直覺選出一個最優選項, 然後將其它選項與最優選項一一比較。 每次比較都要遵守選擇標準, 從兩個選項中選出一個, 然後淘汰另外一個選擇。 避免 FOBO 的祕訣是: 被淘汰的選項就是永遠被淘汰了。 如果你不停把淘汰選項拿回來, 你將陷入困境之中。 現在,重複剛才的步驟, 直到你得出最終決定。
If you follow this system, you will usually end up with a decision on your own. On the rare occasion that you get stuck, you will outsource the final decision to a small group of qualified people who you trust and who are equipped to provide you with guidance on this particular topic. Engage a group of five or less, ideally an odd number of people so that you have a built-in tiebreaker if you need it.
如果你遵循這一流程, 你通常能獨立做出選擇。 除非少數情況下,你感覺被困住了, 那你就得把最終決定權 交給一小群可靠、信任、 有能力就此主題提供指引的人。 人數最好是小於或等於五的奇數, 就能避免票數相同的僵局。 現在你已經做出了選擇, 但還剩下一個挑戰——
Now that you've made your choice, one last challenge remains. You have to commit. I can't promise you that you'll ever truly know if you've made the perfect decision, but I can tell you this: a significant percentage of people in the world will never have to worry about FOBO. Unlike the billions of people who have few options, if any, due to war, poverty or illness, you have plentiful opportunities to live decisively. You may not get everything you want, but the mere fact you get to decide is powerful.
執行這一選擇。 我不能保證你的選擇一定是完美的, 但我可以告訴你的是, 這世界上有很多人 永遠不需要擔心 FOBO 的困擾。 還有上億人可能根本沒有什麼選擇, 因為他們被戰爭、貧窮, 或疾病所困擾。 但你有很多做選擇的機會。 雖然你不能總是心想事成, 但光是你能做决定這點就很強大。
In fact, it's a gift. Make the most of it.
事實上,決定權是一份禮物。 請好好使用!