You Are Going to Fuck This Up

Seventh: not making a choice is in every case a choice and the clock is ticking.

First, you possess imperfect knowledge of yourself. You may think you want something up until the moment you’ve attained it, only to discover that having is not so pleasing a thing as wanting .

Fifth is the usual problem facing decision makers: you have no idea what the future world will be like. You can plan for contingencies but many will be practically unimaginable to you.

Second, you possess even more imperfect knowledge of who you will be in the future. Consider, for a moment, what your life today would be if you were to dictate its future contours precisely and completely at the age of ten. Absurd!

Fourth, your decisions will change you. For example, sometimes a taking up a lifestyle renders you incapable of enjoying it any longer…it is literally impossible for you to understand the meaning of a decision until you directly experience its consequences.

Sixth: you can’t hedge on your life. No amount of money can make up for a shattered heart. And there are no take-backs.

Third, you possess imperfect knowledge of other people upon whom the outcome of your decision relies; and you possess imperfect knowledge of their future state. In light of the last point, especially, marriage is an act of faith.