This is another one of those extremely simple heuristics that works wonders for the modern day human.
Saying YES to something you’re not entirely sure of will get you the initial thrill. But that might start to wear off very quickly, and by then, it might too late to back out. So you’re essentially stuck with something you’re not really into and waste your time and energy.
We’re living in a world of infinite leverage and unlimited options. Saying NO tends to be the better choice when we can’t decide because it preserves the one thing that is scarce and valuable — time. And because we said no, we also retain the optionality of saying YES to something else we have more conviction on.
We can run every major decision in life through this simple heuristic to quickly determine what our next steps should be.
Should I start that side project that looks interesting but I’m not 100% passionate at?
Should I marry this woman I’ve been with for 5 years?
Should I move to this new country thousands of kilometers away?
So, if the answer to the above questions is not a solid, resounding YES, then you’re better off just saying NO.
