SUBSCRIBE SUBSCRIBE LEAD Why ‘Indecisive’ People Tend to Make Better Decisions, Backed by Cognitive ScienceTrait ambivalence sounds like a bad thing, but not when it causes you to seek more information and see both sides of an issue. EXPERT OPINION BY JEFF HADEN @JEFF_HADEN DEC 9, 2025 SHARE LINKEDIN FACEBOOK X BLUESKY LINK ADD ON GOOGLE Photo: Getty Images LISTEN TO THIS ARTICLE More info 0:00 / 6:51 Do you tend to take longer than other people to make a decision? Let’s find out. In a study published in Personality and Individual Differences, researchers asked participants to rate themselves in regard to a number of statements, including: “My thoughts are often contradictory.” “I often find there are pros and cons to everything.” “I often feel both sides of a position pulling on me.” “I often find my thoughts and feelings are in conflict when I think about a topic.” The more those statements sound like you, the more likely you are to be high in what psychologists call “trait ambivalence.” Article continues after video. FEATURED VIDEO 710.2K 16 Play Video The Biggest Lessons OUI the People’s Founder Has Learned From Her Community Does possessing a relatively high level of trait ambivalence sound like a bad thing? Meet the Company That Can Make Jet Fuel Out of Thin Air In business, seemingly so. Conventional wisdom holds that great leaders, and great entrepreneurs, are decisive. (Steve Jobs was many things, but indecision he apparently was not.) Yet the researchers found that trait ambivalence has surprising upsides, especially where decision making is concerned. Quick decisions (and judgments) are often the result of cognitive bias, not reasoned analysis. Take confirmation bias, the tendency to look for and favor data that confirms what you already believe, and avoid or disregard data that goes against what you already believe. EXPAND TO CONTINUE READING ↓ Refreshed leadership advice from CEO Stephanie Mehta SIGN UP This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. PRIVACY POLICY Startup Grow Lead Technology Innovate Money Events Workplace Inc. 5000 Inc. Premium Fast Company & Inc © 2025 Mansueto Ventures, LLC TERMS OF USE ADVERTISE HELP CENTER SITEMAP PRIVACY POLICY NOTICE OF COLLECTION DO NOT SELL MY DATA AD VENDOR POLICY ABOUT US SUBSCRIBE Inc.com adheres to NewsGuard’s nine standards of credibility and transparency.
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