The Paralysis of Analysis

A severe drawback to being overly analytical is the problem of getting literally immobilized by a flood of thoughts. It can be overwhelming to consider every minute possibility when trying to formulate some form of theory. Considering every angle can either work for you, or against you. In my case, it's ruined relationships and kept me in this industry for a long time.

This 'paralysis of analysis' is something I'll give credit to someone else for coining the phrase, but I intend to use the hell out of it. That was our agreement when I first discovered this term. The person who bestowed this wisdom to me happened to be a customer I was working with on a complex issue. After he heard me beat my brains against the issue for so long, he said, 'My friend, you suffer from the Paralysis of Analysis.' I almost fell over from how accurate that statement was. I asked him for rights on using the fuck out of it and he agreed.

Since that encounter, I have used it on a number of occasions to describe my personality to others. I have also learned since then to know when to walk away from something when I feel the paralysis taking effect.