You've Heard Of FOMO, But What Is 'FOBO'? Here's How To Spot This Damaging Issue.

""FOBO, or fear of a better option, is the anxiety that something better will come along, which makes it undesirable to commit to existing choices when making a decision," author and venture capitalist Patrick McGinnis told HuffPost. "This specifically refers to decisions where there are perfectly acceptable options in front of us, yet we struggle to choose just one." McGinnis coined the term FOBO, as well as FOMO, back in 2004 when he was a student at Harvard Business School and wrote an article titled "Social Theory at HBS: McGinnis' Two FOs." He believes that FOBO is "an affliction of abundance." Our on-demand world overwhelms us with seemingly endless choices, thus compelling us to keep all our options open and hedge our bets."

""It's that nagging feeling that makes you hesitate or downright freeze up when faced with a decision, especially if there are several options available, worried that a better ― or even perfect ― choice might be out there and come along at any second," said life coach and entrepreneur Tomas Svitorka. "Whether it's picking something from the menu at a restaurant, choosing a vacation spot or, in more serious cases, deciding on a life partner, FOBO thrives on the question: 'What if there's something even better out there?'" This extreme risk aversion leads to overanalyzing and procrastinating"

FOBO, short for fear of a better option, describes anxiety about a superior choice appearing that prevents commitment to available alternatives. The phenomenon occurs when multiple acceptable options are present and individuals delay or refuse to choose to keep options open. Abundant choices and on-demand availability increase the impulse to hedge bets rather than decide. FOBO can affect everyday selections like meals and vacations as well as consequential decisions such as choosing a partner. The pattern centers on worry that a better option might arrive at any moment. That risk aversion commonly produces excessive analysis and procrastination.

Read at HuffPost