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Neuroscience

Suffering from “Decision Fatigue”

Unanticipated side effects of studying for the SAT

"No matter how rational and high-minded you try to be, you can’t make decision after decision without paying a biological price. It’s different from ordinary physical fatigue — you’re not consciously aware of being tired — but you’re low on mental energy. The more choices you make throughout the day, the harder each one becomes for your brain, and eventually it looks for shortcuts, usually in either of two very different ways."

When there were fewer decisions, there was less decision fatigue. Today we feel overwhelmed because there are so many choices.

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