And I don’t mean those of you who stare at Mike Sorrentino’s abs all day long. (And, really, the only thing that needs to die more than a person who defines himself by one area of his muscular system is anyone who applauds him for doing so.)
No, I mean you, the person who takes apart a problem and proceeds to find every course of action and each one’s ramifications. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but there are a few things that you proceed to do to make it a worthless talent.
You state the problem, the facts, and the options. This isn’t the ineffectual part. This ineffectual part comes in when you decide that stating these things is the end of your contribution. By doing so, you anger others by forcing a decision upon them, and you harm yourself by not using the fortitude that you have to make a decision. You silence yourself at the risk of looking liable. So while your teammates or co-workers or colleagues sigh and cover their faces with their hands, you cover your fleshy backside with yours.
Your analysis of the situation may also trap your friends/co-workers/jailmates into a limited way of thinking. Your choices are not necessarily the only choices, but by having you voice “every possible scenario” without leaving room for improvisation, handy ideas may be shut out by your short-sightedness.
Being analytical and logical is a great thing for you to be. Being indecisive and close-minded is not. Just think what we all would be like if we were a limited, uncaring, mindless center of attention!
You, Situation Analyst, Need To Die.
