If-Else Statements and the Way We Make Choices
When I think about how we make choices, I realise it’s a lot like writing code with if-else statements — simple in theory but messy in practice. I’ve realised it’s kind of like running a Depth-First Search on my own thoughts — going deeper and deeper into every possibility, only to circle back without actually solving anything. It’s not problem-solving anymore, it’s just mental recursion. And eventually, I forget what I was even trying to decide.
If this happens, then do that.
Else, figure out something else.
It sounds simple. Clean. Almost comforting. But if I’m being honest— real-life choices? They rarely feel that clean.
The Logic Trap We Fall Into
In code, conditions are clear. We write them out. The machine follows. End of story. But in life, the same logic starts to feel like a trap.
If I hate my job, I’ll leave.
If things get better, I’ll stay.
If I’m still unsure next month, I’ll decide then.
And suddenly it’s six months later, and I’m still rewriting the same if-else statement in my head, hoping it spits out a different answer.
Decisions Aren’t Always About Logic
We like to think we’re being rational. But half the time, we’re just scared — dressing it up as logic to feel better.
If I wait a bit longer, maybe it’ll work out.
If I just push through, maybe I’m overthinking it.
It’s funny how we write conditions hoping they’ll give us clarity, but all they really do is delay the choice.
Every Time I Tried a Pros and Cons List...
Ever tried making a pros and cons list and ended up more confused than when you started? Same. That’s what nesting too many ifs feels like.
I thought I was being logical — breaking things down, weighing outcomes, thinking it through. But somehow, every time I wrote one, I felt even more stuck.
Because real decisions aren’t usually about neat bullet points.
They’re tangled. Emotional. Conditional.
If this works out, then great.
But if it doesn’t, then what?
Unless this other thing changes.
And what if I regret it?
From what I’ve seen, our brains aren’t really wired to map out every single possibility before making a choice. Instead, they tend to cycle through options, like running the same code repeatedly without a clear stopping point.
When faced with too many conditions, the brain can get stuck in a kind of mental loop—similar to how a recursive function without a proper base case just keeps calling itself. This loop creates confusion rather than clarity.
Interestingly, rather than solving problems by exhaustively analyzing every path, the brain often relies on patterns, feelings, and partial information to break the cycle. It’s less about perfect logic and more about reaching a “good enough” point that lets us move forward.
So, decision-making is less like calculating a flawless algorithm and more like navigating a maze with incomplete maps—sometimes the only way out is to keep moving and adjust as you go.