<p>I often experience paralysis in the face of an irreversible decision or action. What is the term for this or what is it that I'm looking for to describe it and/or research it?</p>

<p>Some examples of this feeling:</p>

<ul>
<li>Leaving for a trip: if I forgot something, once I'm at the airport it'll be too late to go back</li>
<li>Throwing a garbage bag in a dumpster: if I dropped my phone in the garbage at some point, I'm never getting it back</li>
<li>Dropping a bundle of letters into a mailbox: if I got someone's address wrong, I can't just reach in and pull the letters back out</li>
<li>Buying something without a return policy: if I don't like it, I'm never getting that money back</li>
<li>About to jump out of a plane (e.g., skydiving): if I don't like the feeling, I can't just hop back on the plane immediately</li>
</ul>

<p>I was listening to a podcast in which this was referred to as the "call of the void". However, the (not) ever-reliable <a href="http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=the%20call%20of%20the%20void" rel="noreferrer">Urban Dictionary describes the call of the void</a> as the "what if I jumped" thought, which seems different somehow.</p>

<p>This question is related to (but I think not a duplicate of) the <a href="https://cogsci.stackexchange.com/questions/476/what-is-the-term-for-when-too-many-choices-results-in-inability-to-decide">Paradox of Choice</a>, which, as I understand it, states that when people are given more choices, they tend to have difficulty making the decision and are often dissatisfied with the choice they made. It seems this anxiety I'm describing has more to do with the <em>irreversible</em> nature of the decision or action.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-10-29T14:55:23.943Z
If anyone cares: the podcast I referred to was Hello Internet by CGP Grey and Numberphile, the ["Call of the Postbox"](http://www.hellointernet.fm/podcast/23)
Logical Fallacy
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-11-24T23:06:48.300Z
I think this problem is strongly related to procrastination and going late to bed.
Tomáš Zato
<terminology><decision-making>
What is the fear/paralysis that occurs before doing an irreversible action?
Logical Fallacy
# What is the fear/paralysis that occurs before doing an irreversible action?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2014-10-29)

I often experience paralysis in the face of an irreversible decision or action. What is the term for this or what is it that I'm looking for to describe it and/or research it?

Some examples of this feeling:

* Leaving for a trip: if I forgot something, once I'm at the airport it'll be too late to go back
* Throwing a garbage bag in a dumpster: if I dropped my phone in the garbage at some point, I'm never getting it back
* Dropping a bundle of letters into a mailbox: if I got someone's address wrong, I can't just reach in and pull the letters back out
* Buying something without a return policy: if I don't like it, I'm never getting that money back
* About to jump out of a plane (e.g., skydiving): if I don't like the feeling, I can't just hop back on the plane immediately

I was listening to a podcast in which this was referred to as the "call of the void". However, the (not) ever-reliable [Urban Dictionary describes the call of the void](http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=the%20call%20of%20the%20void) as the "what if I jumped" thought, which seems different somehow.

This question is related to (but I think not a duplicate of) the [Paradox of Choice](https://cogsci.stackexchange.com/questions/476/what-is-the-term-for-when-too-many-choices-results-in-inability-to-decide), which, as I understand it, states that when people are given more choices, they tend to have difficulty making the decision and are often dissatisfied with the choice they made. It seems this anxiety I'm describing has more to do with the *irreversible* nature of the decision or action.

**Tags:** terminology, decision-making

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: If anyone cares: the podcast I referred to was Hello Internet by CGP Grey and Numberphile, the ["Call of the Postbox"](http://www.hellointernet.fm/podcast/23)  
> **username_1**: I think this problem is strongly related to procrastination and going late to bed.  

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## 0 answers

