11 Ways To Stop 'FOBO' From Wrecking Your Life
HuffPost
This potent force can cause major stress and anxiety, and interfere with your relationships, career and more.
These days, people are generally familiar with FOMO, the fear of missing out. Some have even learned to embrace JOMO, the joy of missing out. But a lesser known (yet related) phenomenon is FOBO.
“FOBO, or fear of a better option, is a psychological condition in which a person is unable to make a decision because they cannot be sure of the best option,” licensed marriage and family therapist Racine Henry told HuffPost. “It causes ‘analysis paralysis’ and could result in a long, drawn out decision-making process that may or may not result in a decision being made.”
Author and venture capitalist Patrick McGinnis coined the term FOBO, in addition to the related FOMO, while he was a student at Harvard Business School in 2004. He broke down the concepts in an article titled “Social Theory at HBS: McGinnis’ Two FOs.”
“From a mental health perspective, FOMO is extremely time consuming, causes you to doubt yourself, causes stress, and ruins core relationships while creating stress in them,” McGinnis told HuffPost. “So it’s extremely damaging.”
We live in a fast-paced, high-tech world where social media breeds endless comparison that makes us feel inferior about our lives and decisions. As a result, people come to fear they will regret our choices and miss out on better opportunities. They struggle to commit and can’t enjoy the present, instead pondering the future and its many potential paths.
More than 100 people in West Texas are currently sick with the illness, which is avoidable when enough people get vaccinated.
At-home treadmills are an easy way to increase your steps while you're working or watching TV.
We asked three top longevity experts what’s in their grocery carts. Here’s what they told us.
"I don’t know a single person in my queer community who hadn’t considered their own exit strategy in the wake of a Trump administration."
Drivers of Elon Musk's car brand share how they feel. "I no longer need to drive a car that is associated with literal Nazism."
This symptom is often dismissed, which is why it's so important to recognize.
We talked to people who don’t eat animal products about the bottom line on their food budgets.