Lazy Brain

No, it's not going to be fine. Change is never fine. They say it is, but it's not.

- words of wisdom uttered by Sheldon Cooper of Big Bang Theory

Ever felt like Sheldon here? Although it is impossible to foresee how any series of events will affect the current situation we tend to have a strong gut feeling about the most likely outcome. I don't know about everyone else but at least in my case, if that gut feeling isn't clearly flashing green for go, changing the present tends to become a no. If I don't have enough knowledge to conclude what certain actions will do to the current state of events, I assume that it is better to remain where I am rather than risk it. However, making decisions is necessary in the everyday life: we have to choose between cereal, toast and porridge at breakfast, and what clothes to put on. To take a bus, a car, a bike or a walk to work? To pay with cash or card? Credit or debit? What to have for dinner? No one can know if opting for a take-away coffee instead of having one at home has serious consequences for the rest of your - or someone else's - life. It might; it might not. The butterfly effect describes how all of the big things are made of series of little things. Obviously it is quite impossible to profoundly ponder over every action we take in the daily life. Time doesn't wait for us, and today's hectic society demands efficiency and swiftness.

Some things, though, we can and should think through thoroughly. Big, life-altering decisions are sometimes terrifying especially if we are left to make them on our own. To be honest, they are pretty scary even if there is someone to give their judgement on the situation - according to my experience anyway. The worst of all, in my opinion, are situations where remaining passive - not doing anything about anything is a conscious decision in itself, as opposed to being active and doing something; usually the only thing available. You can't escape the decision because passivity becomes a statement as well.

And there we go.

Decisions often lead to changes, and change - while possibly good - is unpredictable and therefore a liability.

And why is unpredictable decidedly bad?

I love psychology and brains and stuff, thus a summer holiday means loads of time to read more into the subject. In one of my brain books that I've been carrying home from the library I learned that basically our brain objects change. It is perhaps not groundbreaking news to anyone but an interesting thing to think about anyway. The brain aims for homeostasis: that is, it likes stability. In terms of change, there are two sides in this coin. First of all, change shakes - sometimes more, sometimes less - the prevalent mental state and brain archive of an individual, thus disrupting the homeostasis. Not good, the brain thinks. On the other hand, our brain has an infinite ability to adjust, so whilst being a natural reaction, reluctance towards decision-making and changing things is merely a sign of laziness on the side of our brain: it opposes getting more work to do. And more work would inevitably follow any action rearranging the present order.

So technically, I guess, we ought to ignore our fears and insecurities about changes, and just go on with them.

Ha.

As if.

I can stare at the insides of my closet for ages because I cannot make up my mind as to what to wear - beginning from underwear in the worst days. At times, I even find getting the day started an extremely overpowering challenge since I'm having a hard time deciding in which order I should perform the day's tasks. Not to mention the real hard things that would definitely have dramatic alterations in the current state of affairs.

And now, I suppose my plane is about to land.

So I should probably switch off the laptop and be done with this silly obscurity.