I can be indecisive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Partly because of FOMO. But more from concern. I\u2019m concerned at how easily we make decisions without knowing the full implications of our choices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Not all choices have a clear right and wrong. Many are simply gray.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And growing up, no one really prepares you for the gray areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How as you learn a thing or two the world becomes complicated. Right and wrong become prejudices, a matter of opinion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I long for someone or something to tell me to do this, not this. This is the one you want, not that one, and here\u2019s why.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Instead, I\u2019m met with decisions with such far-reaching outcomes, I can\u2019t even begin to understand their impact. The concept of right and wrong aren’t even considerations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Take dating. Dating carries with it the chance you may meet someone who will forever change your trajectory. Yet our attitude towards dating is so nonchalant. Meet a girl. Connect with her. Commit to her. Marry her. Raise a family and live “happily” ever after.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Notice how things escalate when each step so quietly closes so many unknown doors. Each decision guiding you to an unforeseen end point, while obscuring all others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The truth is, we get lost in love and lust with all the right and wrong people at all the right and wrong times, sending our lives bouncing between an infinite number of outcomes in the process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And we are none the wiser.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And what about the countless other decisions we make?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How often do we consider that each friend we choose influences us in ways we can’t even comprehend? How they bias us, planting, rejecting and shaping every thought that crosses our mind. The people for which we sacrifice our time and emotions for. The ones who will celebrate our most important achievements and mourn our heaviest losses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Or what about the place we call home? It\u2019s the anchor to our entire universe. It dictates who we meet, the opportunities we encounter and the life we end up living. It can be a place of sanctuary or one\u2019s own personal hell depending on where and how you build it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And work. It\u2019s not just a paycheck. It\u2019s where you trade your most valuable resource for some sort of perceived sustainability. It\u2019s your mark on the world. Outside of children, it’s often your biggest impact on the future of mankind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And still, we fumble our way through decisions. Choosing the things that ultimately make up our existence with so little thought. No guidelines, not even a rudimentary map. Just cause and effect to guide our way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In a world of bright, shiny distractions, it\u2019s amazing to me the primary color of our decisions is gray.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I can be indecisive. Partly because of FOMO. But more from concern. I\u2019m concerned at how easily we make decisions without knowing the full implications of our choices. Not all choices have a clear right and wrong. Many are simply gray. And growing up, no one really prepares you for the gray areas. How as… Continue reading The Gray Areas<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":853,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nathanbrooksthompson.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/847"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nathanbrooksthompson.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nathanbrooksthompson.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nathanbrooksthompson.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nathanbrooksthompson.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=847"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.nathanbrooksthompson.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/847\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nathanbrooksthompson.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/853"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nathanbrooksthompson.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=847"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nathanbrooksthompson.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=847"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nathanbrooksthompson.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=847"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}