An Essay on Decisions

 “I went down to the crossroads, fell down on my knees.
Asked the lord above for mercy, save me if you please.” Robert Johnson

A person with the slightest amount of insight can see if a relationship will last  once they first get to know a person. An aborted relationship does not result from misinformed precedents. It results from a decision, a decision to abort.

This decision comes from such a crossroad. Often enough a situation will call to either work out a situation or abort the relationship. The reason why people have such a difficult time deciding which choice to make is because they aren’t sure which choice is failure, or success. Sometimes a relationship can be a good thing. Other times it may not. But it is important to know there is never a 100:0 ratio of good versus bad. Just like chemical reactions never fully react (equilibrium is in fact reached), so too a decision is never completely of one stature. The choice that one makes is never entirely successful or unsuccessful.

The only reason why one would choose to work through hard times is because they have the underlying dogma of sacrifice. To persevere is “To sacrifice at any moment what you are for what you will become” (Eric Thomas). 

It is at these moments that you need to ask yourself: Is the result greater than the work? Is this result truly desirable? You must also ask yourself: Is the pride greater than the future of this relationship? How about the emotional turmoil I must forgive someone for? What about the work I must promise to do? 

In all is this relationship greater than its costs?

It’s funny how when most people are faced with 2 choices they choose a 3^rd, that being to not choose. Decisions lead to uncertainty, and a person must trust their values as to what is best for themselves.

Author's Note

As a writer, I am constantly seeking to better my work. Please leave me your harshest criticism-I have think skin.

Reviews

[Peeps MacArthur]

This is the first work I've read here. I'm no expert but I can certainly comment from a reader's perspective.
I chose this one because i like to break decisions down intellectually so that I can avoid undesireable emotions. That never works but I try anyway. I can relate to the message but wanted,as a reader, to have these thoughts expanded.
I was reading the quote at the start anticipating the context of your essay but didn't see that kind of message. I've done the same thing with a story I'm writing and I've worked the whole time trying to tie it in. I think that interfered with the creative process of it.
"You have to ask yourself: Is the pride greater than the future relationship." is something I would like as a reader to get expanded into a larger part of the conversation. I think something is there worth including but only you can tell me.

[KillerWithWords]

You have point, I certainly have been vague with this essay. But that's exactly my point. As this is part 1 of a conversation. Part 2 would be the reader tying in his or her own experience and expounding on it. Ironically this essay began as a letter. You can imagine what the 2nd half of the letter was about...
I think it's real neat how this is the first thing you've read on the site. I hope you find interest in some of my other work as well...

[CureThePoison]

Well.. the first thing that I have to say is that there are some points in here which I agree on and others that I don't. I feel like you haven't highlighted all the factors which comes on making decisions (then again, if you did you'd probably end up with a book). So here comes my attacks:
Does every relationship have to be the equation of relationship > cost? Speaking in a married woman's point of view (which I am) there are always different factors that makes up a relationship. We often judge a whether to abort or continue a relationship for a several reasons. One of the main reasons happens to be comfort, love, some people just for a waste of time. Relationships are a give and take. In order for you to take from someone, you need to give. Some people give without return, some in the middle, others are all about taking. So you're being too general with the questions you mentioned above. We all have different reasons, we all have different views on what our roles are and how people deal with things. People are fragile, they cannot keep a promise and have a hard time to promise someone anything. Some people accept that while others don't.
Other than that I'd like to say that this was something I enjoyed reading. It helped me see it in a different angle (even though I don't agree completely with it) If there was something that I would request as a reader to see how creative you could get with this subject. If Decisions was a person, a God, or anything that is personified then how would you describe it?
I think I'm done here xD

[KillerWithWords]

Fantastic review. I agree with what you're saying: how i'd end up with a book.
I am quite vague in this essay and i think i'm going to keep it this way for now. The essay is meant to be vague, giving the reader a glimpse of how a relationship can be viewed.
Concerning what you said about other factors playing a part in a relationship. That is very true, but most of the time that won't make or break it. Those are usually the things that lead up to huge positive thing (love for example, for a million teensy reasons) or a huge bad thing, (a fight, over many teensy bad things) This essay focuses on the huge bad thing, or good thing, rather than the reasons why. But you have a very good point.

[CureThePoison]

I thought so. I guess in the end, decisions are something each person views differently. Its part of experience and that fact just throws us into a whole different world.

[KillerWithWords]

That's a good conclusion. I'd like to add that although our views may be different, they all converge onto one or two principles. This essay struggles to highlight those aspects. I'm learning now, that i have not been as successful as i thought i had been.

[once upon a time]

I think this has a really good message to be putting out there. I think you have a lot of potential to be really great but you need to work on using that potential. I think this is a great start and i look forward to reading more of your work.

[KillerWithWords]

Thank you for your honest review. Don't be afraid of being harsh. I'm constantly looking to improve...