When FOMO meets FOBO

I knew FOMO (fear of missing out) quite well as I had experienced it many, many times, but I until a few days back, had never seen FOBO and didn’t know what it meant. So, let me introduce you to that new acronym and see how it compare to what could be its pretty nasty cousin. 

Well, FOBO, that means “Fear of a Better Option” reminds me of FOMO, but unlike the fear of missing out on events, people, opportunities, etc., FOMO meant to keep all of us from committing to any choice whenever a choice is presented to us, under the form of some alternatives, that seems better ever and could potentially come along.

This way of stopping an individual’s decision making process (for decisions big or small) can delay that operation for as indefinite amount of time. Then, quite often, at the very last minute, that same individual picks whatever option works best, without considering the effects this kind of wishy-washy behavior has on those who are impacted by that painful form of indecision. 

Have I been victim of FOBO? You bet, when I have interviewed for jobs I didn’t get and was told “We’ll get back to you!”, never to hear anything back. Conversely, have I used FOBO for my own convenience? Yes, I had a few experiences with that practice many years ago, I found it convenient at the time, but it also made me look very bad, unreliable and didn’t help my reputation. 

This is why, very quickly, I refrained from using that tactic. While FOMO is the result of events we don’t quite control, FOBO is something that is well under our own mastery, so a chronic and continued case of FOBO can turn whoever uses that into a pretty rotten friend, colleague, business partner, and all-around person!