I'm analyzing the video's title and thumbnail to decide if I'll watch it now, later, or not at all. Will keep you guys updated

I spent years being afraid of the "worst possible outcome". Turned it around into "no matter what happens, it can be solved". Feels so much better.

Mark Twain said "Most of the things that troubled me in my life never actually happened."

At some point, I stopped overthinking because I realized if a plan is gonna go bad, it's gonna go bad anyways no matter how much thought was put into it.

“There are more things, Lucilius, likely to frighten us than there are to crush us; we suffer more often in imagination than in reality.”

The timings is so good that im starting to fear dr.k

It puts a whole new meaning to "a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush". They even got the multiplication aspect of loss aversion right.

Imagine using your "skill of overthinking" to come up with solutions in the future to the ONE thing that did actually go wrong, rather than overthinking at the beginning about the INFINITE things that could go wrong. That's how I'm trying to reframe it for myself... Trying to deploy my powerful, overthinking brain at the appropriate time in the system.

"That which you already own is worth more to you than the possibility of something else" is a statement that just explains so much that I need to go for a walk.

I think most people just get to a point in their lives where they realise that not choosing things out of worry of loss and failure is painfully stagnant, and so they end up choosing things despite crushing feelings of loss aversion because even that is better than knowing you are frozen in time and your life hasn't changed for years yet not doing anything about it.

This reminds me of one of my strategies for getting out of a depressive state. First thing I do is check my Vitamin D, but after that, I work on turning outwards. I try to find ways I can lift someone else up, not just by being a hype queen, but by going and doing something physical for them. So I'll volunteer for a community cleanup, or I'll shovel snow for the neighbors, or something like that. It takes me out of my own head in a huge way.

After dozens of failed Applications and Interviews this feels like a punch in the gut but it explains things

I suffered from paralysis of analysis for the first 28 years of my life. I’ve always done the safe route. Safe degree, safe job and safe hometown. I just made the decision to move across the country with 2 friends to start a new path and this is something I never thought I would have done. Idk why I agreed to it but I am glad I did.

"I can try this again" best narrative to curb perfectionism.

Dr K, you should include worksheets for your uploads that have similar resources as the guide. A worksheet in the description would invite people to “give this video a try” and act on what they just watched. A worksheet might say “practice nadi shudhi for 5 minutes then journal about the video topic”. I think there’s room for someone other than Dr.K to make such a thing, even. So like maybe a coach, mod, or someone could write up worksheets for us. I can’t say exactly what they would contain obviously but i think they’d be a good addition.

As someone with ADHD & who is very analytical I STRUGGLE with this. Thanks for making these videos they are so helpful ❤

When Dr. K was talking about looking around and seeing classmates who were carefree because you assumed they "choose [their major] right"... Idk how to describe it but it's like a small part of me healed, because I had always assumed that and felt awful for not being able to get it figured out like they did, but of course I didn't, I was so stressed out and avoided it! I also notice I tend to always feel like time is running out but if I'm able to extent the timeline in my thinking, I notice I'm immediately more relaxed and can think more clearly. I feel like I'm explaining this badly but basically, this video is really helpful and I'm gonna watch it again and again. Thank you HGGG!!! You guys are the best.

You'll never know if you don't find out. I spent YEARS saying I was going to start a business, but I never did...until I just did. I just went and did it. Stop overthinking things and just do it.

Dr K drops these with immaculate timing 😄

This video has made me feel so much better and I feel more equipped in dealing with high anxiety regarding certain events. The dread feels too real man. It’s the most daunting, crippling and suffocating feeling one can ever experience. So I’m glad of the simple message of “CHILL FIRST so you can make better decisions later”. Also to externalize the issue. That’s so good too. Holy crap. High anxiety can be so suffocating man.

I sleep 8 hours, I eat healthy, I work out, I try to meditate and have the most chill environment but the moment I put myself through making a decision I freak out. Even the technic of “getting out of my head” feels like running away from my problems, in the end of the day I need to sit back and decide.

The best thing I've ever been told (so far) is: "Why are you in a rush? You have the rest of your life to develop in [this thing]". It really changed my outlook on life and how I want to live.

I just realized that the reason I had analysis paralysis over what language and framework I'll invest my time in was because I'm a career switcher in his 40's and because of age I refused to see a time depth beyond a decade, and perceived the time I have for adjustments to be smaller. On top of that, I would sit to study like I'm being chased by wolves and that added stress to the equation, making me feel dumb for not learning fast enough.

how is he always so real and on time with these istg ive been dying from this lately

Funny story, I opened up youtube to 'get my mind in the right place' for my assignment, your youtube video popped up and I read the title and I was like, you know what.... and started on the assignment instead, now I am watching this 'after'. You help in more ways than one DR K ;) you called my shit out when I needed it hahahhaa.

i recently ended a relationship and I was constantly paralyzed by that decision. I could never choose. I feel like my end goal for me and for her was to be healthier people and everytime something would go wrong, I would get really scared and my world would crash. My end goal, I think, was also a lifelong partner and deciding if she was that too. I kinda feel like these large goals and things I'm looking at in the future are stressing me out NOW though too.. I'm not sure I feel better after breaking up. I think it honestly feels worse and I do miss her a lot.. I just don't know if it could work or if it was good. We were hurting each other emotionally on accident a lot even though we both wanted to change and work at these things. We wanted to be a team but often turned enemy which would only amplify feelings of distrust, fear, etc. It all really sucks. She was probably the first person I dated that I really got to taste what it meant to really love another person flaws and all. To really experience someone else and share something special. Sheesh I'm going to stop and try to get some work done.

My therapist and I couldn’t figure out what this was called so I named it “Hypochondria of the Future,” granted not using hypochondria correctly as it was based on rational possible issues in the future, she had me puzzle out that it was really irrational fear of the future. The future of tomorrow has unpredictable outcomes. Sure, some predictions that are based on pattern that can happen. A new war could start tomorrow but we don’t know that. That’s the part that bothers me, even kinda still. But knowing that I can make the proper steps to build my future is more reassuring than thinking about the future. Actions speak louder than thought. A thought disappears, an action is imprinted into history.

There is something D.K missed to mention here, one of the most important things, the scaling part of the issue, because yes there is scaling factors, your brain isn't always entirely risk averse nor entirely risk-tolerant so obviously, it's not always entirely wrong either. What i would first try to found out (and in the process basically debug my paralysis analysis level) is why do i think in the way i think about risk on a certain thing and how much of that concern is valid, this helps you understand yourself, your external and internal motivations as well as their value and help stabilize to a significant extend your ratio between risk averse and risk tolerance values, meanwhile it will also help build more critical thinking which will indirectly also aid you to keep yourself in check in that regard. It's like converting what you have as disadvantage back to an advantage.

I'd just like to mention once again (I've seen this commented multiple times atp) how many times Dr. K will post a video that aligns almost exactly with where my headspace is at, almost exactly when it is at that place. I haven't watched any of your content in over a week and yet, a few hours before this was posted, I came to the conclusion that my over-analysis was a major cause for a lot of my problems. The all of a sudden, a video on analysis paralysis... insane

the intermixed losses made it "click" for me. my mind is blown. its all i needed to hear

Anyone else always amazed at how conveniently timed some of these topics are? I swear, when I’m at my low points, there’s a video touching on a big subject in my life. I love Dr. K, thank you for providing such a logical approach to things that seem so uncontrollable and foreign. You remind me that I’m in control of this ship, the more I learn about it the better I’m able to navigate it. Have a good day everyone ❤️

My "ah ha" moment was I was visiting my mom & grandma and decided to park on the street so they could back their cars out. My grandma says," why didn't you just park in the driveway?" A harmless question but I realized she does this ALL 👏 THE 👏 TIME👏 "Why don't you just/ why didn't you -" and even my mom does it sometimes too. So I have this lifelong monologue of "guh why didn't I xyx?" And it's only growing into the most mundane things like "should i take the stroller or the shopping cart?" And I'm bordering on just going home instead. It's insane! I need to firgive myself too for when I push through and DO make a decision and something DOES "go wrong" like I DO go shopping but I failed to get everything I needed because I didn't prepare myself with a list.

I've noticed it can sometimes lock people moving forward in their life because they're overanalyzing every situation making it worse on themselves. I noticed what it was when I was married in my twenties. having been able to avoid it in most scenarios later in life.

Spot on, I have noticed how much easier it is for me to accomplish my daily goals that I set for myself when I get good night sleep, exercise, eat healthy. Everything that I have learned and integrated from Dr. K over the past few months have been an absolute improvement on my life. I feel extremely grateful for such a quality content He and his team provides the world with.

On 2023, at so many diverse occasions, my brains used it’s ingéniosity to make any little problem bigger, have it steroid and this made me stressed and in a state where I can make it really bigger in life. When I choosed to calm my brain and be more mature at handling problems, I realized how much they are never that big.

This is a really interesting video. It also explains why people flipping the decision making from fear of a mistake to a fear of a missed opportunity works in the brain. The loss aversion circuit is still activated but hacked to help push the outcome/action you want. Very clever.

thanks dr. k! i've lately been stressing my head off about which route to choose in my life now that my college degree is done. i need to watch this 3-4 times more to really drill down your message in my agitated brain. especially the "be chill first and good things happen" thing that I simply cannot currently wrap my head around.

genuinely took notes on this video and was able to talk to the girl I had been paralyzed to talk to for weeks using the strategies and logic it presented

how is it that therapists don't understand me, but you do. All of your videos are really helpful. Thank you.

6:08 - I think I see where this is going. One of the things I picked up earlier in life that really helps (when I realize I'm spiraling) is sitting down and rationally mapping out what is the worst-case scenario here. It's counterintuitive, but I have found that by rationally and soberly looking at what could be behind my vague fears, I am usually relieved to find that it is not as bad as I anticipated. At the very least, it usually helps me compare the worst outcome of a choice with the likeliest outcome of failing to make a choice, and that really helps put it in perspective.

I haven't finished the video yet, but I did recently come to an insight that just doing ANYTHING is better than not doing at all. Like, it's better to just go for any rush of energy and momentarily inspiration (even for chores, or things I haven't done before), than brush them aside because I don't feel like it or I'm afraid. Thanks to that I was slowly able to better my life from being a passive vegetable. It's just that I've come to know myself and the way I distract myself by countless thinking without choosing and doing anything, that in the end I end up just scrolling something. So, idk what happened, but I started to slowly overcome that. The point is really in stopping yourself from thinking too much. You had a first thought to do something? Stop listening to anything else your mind says, like "it'll take too much time, you don't have much time, you're not equipped nor are you skilled enough", and just do it. ESPECIALLY avoid something like "that's not priority. I should be reading a book/ doing a chore/ something not urgent but important". Because you know yourself, you won't do the priority either, so you may as well go for something less prioritized, but still different than scrolling or loafing around. I know it's an obvious thing, but I wasn't able to make myself understand this for so many years. Maybe someone will get it, too.

I find that empty chair work with clients quickly exposes thia line of thinking. I'll place 2 empty chairs in front of the client and ask them to imagine the part of them that wants to make decision A in one chair and the part that wants to make decision B in the other chair. I'll ask the client to declare the stance of each part and then facilitate a decision between the parts. Usually there is one part that is fearful of pain, disappointment, loss, failure, etc.

A favorite phrase of my family was “what’s the worst that can happen?” It was intended to encourage, but would send me into doom cycle. I’ve learned that some of my plans go horribly wrong, but not all, and everything is figureoutable. It all always works out in the end, and the scoreboard doesn’t mean anything until we quit or the clock runs out.

I think why i like Dr K so much is because he doesnt ever assume that we are too stupid or ignorant to understand something. He speaks to us about what it is, how it works, and he does into detail and positively assumes that we will understand. I have struggled with therapy in the past due to my special interest being in psychology (im autistic), i studied (sort of still do) for years. My issue is When i go to a therapist, they speak to me as if its my first time on earth. They assume that i know nothing, and they dont believe me when i say 'no im very familiar i understand' so they spend the first 6 weeks educating me on things i already know, instead of helping me put those things into motion, or to feel those things on a deeper level, or to actually identify the parts of me that need healing. Its a very frustrating experience. I cant open up when they are explaining cbt to me despite me having used cbt techniques for the last 8 years. My best experiences have been with Doctors or psychiatrists, because they tend to be quite excited that someone has actually shown interest and are present ready to hear and take on advice. Its really difficult for me to find an irl therapist likr Dr. K, who wont assume that im incapable of understanding, and wont treat me like im rude when i ask questions in detail. When i seek detail, im not being rude, im being open and honest and if you, like Dr K respond well to that as a therapist, im an open book. If not, i just cannot ever feel comfortable enough to want to open up and get to the more serious, ugly parts. My issue is i want closeness with others but im so scared of loss that i dont even try. Im scared to lose my alone time, my isolation, that I've built up over the years. Im scared to lose my peace if i let others in. In reality thr 'peace' i have exists within a vacuum, and it will be better, stronger, more fruitful peace when i let others in. ❤

This is so eye opening! Thank you Dr. K

Another perfectly timed video, thank you Dr. K

I did this instinctively in college. Struggling with my homework? I’d take a little notebook on a walk around campus, and once I’d feel less stressed out, ideas about the next steps would come to me. I wrote them down and went back to my homework and felt a lot better

I always say to myself, "there's no bad choices here", or if it is a decision about something I don't want to do, but where I have to do something, I say, "There's no good choices here." This releases me from loss aversion.

A concept ive never heard of, didnt even know exsisted. Explains me so well. Thank you for making me aware to this! I love your channel man thank you so much for your wisdom!

Already done with analysis paralysis. It have been covering my fear of an empty life - without a life goal, work direction and friends... :/

It is truly like I was on autopilot and didn't know myself until I found this channel almost accidentally. I was searching for terms that could help me sleep at a different time than I am used to falling asleep, to be awake for a long road trip. From one video to another, YT finally brought me to this channel, and it was stuff I never thought to search for, because I was not self aware, nor did I ever think this type of knowledge existed, much less be accesible like this. I have learned so much about the way I behave from this channel. This subject here hits hard. (But other videos too.) I am truly grateful for this channel and the knowledge shared. Truly making a difference.

Thank you so much for this video. I’ve been significantly suffering from loss aversion and it’s taken me up to this point to figure out what’s stopping my brain from breaking out of the feedback loop. I am sure I am not the only one who feels the same profound sense of clarity after watching this video

This was surprisingly useful. Especially the end point talk and the externalizing my focus. Good concreet practical information.

Why does "Analysis paralysis" feels like a Radiohead song?

This is quickly becoming my favorite channel

The timing is very good, my girlfriend is currently stuck not knowing if she is happy in the relationship. We have been separated spacialy for two weeks for her to collect her thoughts. Two days ago she said she wanted to try it and work on things but I am unsure of her feelings. I sent her this video today so she can watch it on her own. I think you describe her situation perfectly, I hope it will help her to make a good decision

Me, looking at my brain: "Dude wtf"

Somehow Dr. K drops the perfect video for me just when i need it

My paralysis and problems are not because of me, but in the majority because of other people who are my obstacles and are getting in my way. The reality is that everybody wants an easy and stressless life, good health, good relationship with others, but it is others who can ruin this for you. In my neighborhood and city, people are becoming more toxic by the day that going out for walks or shopping at a store can be a life threatening day that can ruin years of life. On the other hand, you have to make decisions based on what is given to you in your environment. Someone living in a situation less fortunate than a bilionaire, his decisions and outcomes are restricted. It is your environment and socieconomic situation that have power over you in addition to the givens that cannot be changed such as your genetics.

This video could not have possibly come at a better time! This is something I have dealt with my entire life as a result of really bad ADHD/executive dysfunction, and it's heald me back so much. Sometimes you really need to just jump in head first.

Reminds me a lot of Christian Doctrine: Worry not and be of good cheer(don't focus on negative), Keep eyes on Jesus and those in need(outside), and have an external perspective(end is so far away that any timeline you can concieve doesn't even scratch the surface). If I can spread those beliefs and practices to all parts of life, things would be amazing! I struggle, and have eternity to work that out, which helps me not beat myself up for that particular thing. But, other things feel urgent and I tend to beat myself up over them.

With ADHD this is common because of executive function caused by a weak VTA/dopaminergic reward system, weak prefrontal cortex and an overactive limbic system. All these problems compound each other. Stimulants boost dopamine and blood flow to the prefrontal cortex which then inhibits the limbic system and activates the reward system.

Thank You Dr.K this is a key iv been searching almost all my life for, its been thousands of hours of nonstop videos to find this one i dont have much to say but i just hope i use it to set myself free from these chains that bind my mind ty again love and respect.

I've needed this information for almost five years. I'm taking notes. Thank you, thank you, thank you. 😌

NICE! I'm currently working through my Analysis Paralysis! Universe stays on point. Edit. Ketamine helped a lot, and its starting to make more sense why.

This is one of your favorite videos so far and a major wake-up call for me personally. Actually feels like I'm unwrapping the enigma that used to be my brain. Thank you.

Extending the endpoint is a point. While "being present" is great, the opposite can be a hell of a superpower. Being present gets you caught up in the small details, losses, and short-term effects. But by zooming out and blurring your vision, the moment-to-moment stressors lose their impact. Without a big picture, each step will invariably feel like the world.

Couldnt have clicked this faster

40Y struggling with life with a narc wife, this video has summed up my life over the last 10 years, so..... hopefully I can break this loop... But first i need my dose of gaming....

Perfect timing!! 🙏 🙏🙏I was paralyzed about an important decision and this information helped me a lot! Thank you Dr. K!! ✨️

Thank you for the perfect timing of this video! I literally was having analysis paralysis about selling everything I own and moving. It makes sense why I feel some kind of way about “losing” everything I’ve built up to this point. But obviously I know if I let go of everything, I will have better opportunities elsewhere. This makes me feel a lot better! Thanks Dr. K and everyone in the community for explaining! ❤

"First things first": hierarchical and value based priorities need to take precedence over dopaminergic hedonistic whims. "One in the hand is worth two in the bush": We value what we have here and now today more than what we potentially could have.

I can't decide if I should watch this video or not. But in all seriousness, as others have said, this video couldn't have come at a better time. I believe Dr. K have a gift for being able to read the times we're in, and deliver lectures which really speak to how so many of us are feeling. That ability alone, is truly brilliant.

This video came out exactly when I found myself stuck between two decisions, something that often happens to me, and now I have a name for this feeling, thank you so much for the tips I'll try to implement what you said and see if it will get better. Hope everything will turn out with the best outcome.

Hadn't head of analysis paralysis or loss aversion, nice to have a term to associate with the feeling

I hate when I get grilled braincheese

Thank you doctor K, i've been watching your videos for over 2 years now and my life has changed so much for the better. Could not have done it without you. Keep doing what you are doing! love!

Im strugling with depression for years and i wish you would be my psiquiatrist, love the content, love how you explain things and must and the biggest.. we need to raise awarness to mental heath , is so but so importante that only when you hit the rock bottom... you realise it.. keep up the good work and god bless you, your family and everyone who is suffering from mental heatlh, much love ❤❤❤

I'm currently experiencing this paralysis right now. I'm trying to jump into my own business- i have the knowledge and experience, but I'm sitting here "what if...?"-ing myself to death and unable to act... i need to figure this out.

I don't know, this all sounds a little weird.

This videos are sooo well made, sooo well explained. Thanks a lot Alok. They actually, legitimately do help. Cheers from Bs As!

The extending timeline thing I genius!! I didn't realize I actually had so much time. Thanks a lot for this video, super helpful!

In art, loss aversion causes problems because years later, we can definitely see the mistakes by holding onto crap we dgaf about. You kinda gotta just go for the stuff that's without a problem regardless of how much or how little effort is spent.

Having ADHD and a high self esteem means I don't have this loss aversion at all, but it STILL doesn't matter 😂 "I gotta finish editing that video. I know it'll take like 20 minutes considering where I left it, and I know I'm amazing at this and there's a 0% chance I'll screw it up... Nope, my body still won't move, I'll do it some day probably 💀"

1. The brain performs calculations using false information (since one part of it is “divorced” from reality). 2. You value something you already have much more than something you could potentially gain by exchanging/sacrificing what you already have. The amount of time you’ve been in possession of what you already have heavily influences the brains calculation regarding whether it’s worth to sacrifice it or not (the longer you have/stick to something the harder it will be to give up). 3. You can feel potential loss but you can’t feel the potential gain. 4. The potential gain gets multiplied by 0.5 while the potential loss by 2.0. That results in potential losses seeming much greater, and potential gains seeming much less than those actually are. 5. The order of operations matters (see p. 2). In the example “I want to play games but I need to work”, playing games will be considered as something you possess (and therefore can lose) while working will be more related to gain. This will result in the brain perceiving the loss of playing games as something that heavily outweighs the gains from working. Therefore, the first thought is more likely to be what you go with than the second thought. 6. Intermixed losses: if a loss is experienced when after it follows an endpoint then it would result in much more pain than if the endpoint was much further in the future. For example, you could be stressed about picking a major for college since if it doesn’t work out (loss) then you’re screwed (graduation from the college is the endpoint). However, if you change your thinking to “I have 10 years to figure out what I want to do with my life, and 4 of those years will be spent in college” then even if the college doesn’t work out you still have 6 more years. Therefore, putting the endpoint far into the future can reduce the pain of experiencing losses. 7. Emotional regulation helps to decrease the effect of the amygdala on the final calculation of what decision to make (you can decrease the potential loss estimation from 2.0 to 1.0); logical analysis doesn’t help with the actual decision calculation. 8. Reducing noradrenergic transmission makes making decisions easier. That means reducing stress levels and being “stress-free” and detached in spite of having to make a stressful decision. This can be achieved through meditation, sleep, reduced caffeine intake, etc. You become stress-free first, and not after you deal with a difficult situation. 9. The more interoceptive you are, the more loss aversion you will experience. Externalizing your attention will reduce the effect the amygdala has on you (do something that makes you focus on the external world in contrast to the internal).

I'm going through a bad breakup with the person I loved so much and struggling with finding motivation to continue my life. Your video has helped me understand myself so much better and actually gave interesting knowledges to learn. I admire your journey and your intellect so much, Dr.K. Thank you for the content you have been creating and spreading on internet. Hope you know how much it means to us. Best wishes from Vietnam

crying in virgo rising...

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The longstanding phrase "a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush" directly illustrates the weighting you mentioned. Literally double.

I definitely needed to hear that. Thanks man

I used to feel so much paralyzing stress about what happens if the worst thing possible happens? But then, I just started ensuring that I get the worst possible outcome, so I don't worry anymore.

This is incredible and one of the best videos you've very produced, Thank you!

Brilliant! I love the way Dr K integrates other disciplines into these videos. This system's approach may really help me out and I understand it having been in engineering school at one point in my life! I couldn't understand why I couldn't hold onto the plusses in contemplating certain decisions but now I do. I will rethink my process for upcoming decisions using Dr Ks ideas from this video. Thank you Dr K.

One of the best videos I've seen. I feel like I understand my halt in life much better. It's strange that I already knew this... But sometimes you just need someone to illuminate it, to be known.

I really needed to hear this. Especially in my current situation. I kinda wish I was a different person, and i get stuck on the “why is it there”, and “what if it is the wrong decision”.

God... this is one of the most real videos you've made. So much of my life is reflected here, as well as many of my own realizations. Powerful stuff.

Having my exact dilemma being explained to me allowed me to finally relax. Thank you Dr. k.

This one was a breath of fresh air. Thank you Dr. K.

Hey Dr. K! Thank you so much for making this video. You are brilliant! I feel like this video was specially tailored for me. I have been torturing myself with over analysis and sometimes it feels like I'm trapped in my head for fear of having to figure things out and can't get out. Thank you for answering so many of my questions and making this content available with very practical techniques!

Dr. K is such a genius!!! Thank you for this channel and community… Much gratitude and admiration for your work… You have helped me, and many others develop new perspectives on life and change for the better… Much love ❤❤❤