You're probably familiar with FOMO.
That's short for \"Fear Of Missing Out.\"
It's that feeling you get
when it seems everyone else is doing something better
than what you're doing now.
But there's another FO you need to know about,
and it's far more dangerous.
It's called FOBO,
and it's short for \"Fear Of a Better Option.\"
We live in a world of overwhelming choice.
Even decisions that used to be simple,
like choosing a restaurant or making everyday purchases,
are now fraught with overanalysis.
Technology has only made the issue more pronounced.
If you want to buy a pair of white shoelaces online,
you have to sort through thousands of items
and read through hundreds of reviews.
That's an astounding amount of information to process
to just buy two pieces of string that cost less than your morning latte.
Chances are you've experienced FOBO when you've struggled
to choose just one from a group of perfectly acceptable outcomes.
It's a symptom of a culture which sees value
in collecting and preserving as many options as possible.