Overanalysis, also known as “analysis paralysis,” is a problem-solving dilemma that arises when considering multiple variables, leading to difficulty or inability to make a timely decision. It is prevalent in modern times due to information overload and complex bureaucracies in government and business. Nobel laureate economist Herbert Simon suggested that it is best to pick a course of action and adjust it as needed. Overanalyzing can also affect athletes, consumers, and even literary characters like Hamlet.
Overanalysis is a problem-solving dilemma that arises when consideration of multiple variables makes a timely decision difficult or impossible. It is sometimes called by more outlandish names, such as “analysis paralysis” or the “centipede’s dilemma”. While this is an ancient concept, it has become increasingly popular in modern times. Management structures in government and business are prone to overanalyzing issues, leading to complex bureaucracies. Ordinary people are faced with information overload due to rapidly advancing technologies and the many choices available in consumer societies.
The problem of overanalysis has been illustrated in ancient fables such as “The Fox and the Cat,” attributed to the Greek storyteller Aesop. A fox brags to a cat that he has numerous ways to escape danger, but when chased by dogs, he can’t decide which method is best, resulting in his capture. Similar tales are found in the folklore of ancient China, India and the Middle East. Another old story involves a centipede being asked how it manages to coordinate its many legs. The centipede, overanalyzing the question, forgets how it walks.
Humorous examples aside, over-analysis can be a very real problem. Large corporations and government agencies can encounter this difficulty when considering all the possible negative and positive outcomes of a particular policy. This “committee decision” sometimes creates a complex web of bureaucracy. While the intent is honorable, the end result is often the opposite of the intended effect. A company may lose ground to a competitor that hasn’t investigated the problem as thoroughly, or a government program may not help the citizens for which it was designed due to bureaucratic “red tape.”
Nobel laureate economist Herbert Simon ventured that any effort to analyze all possible outcomes in search of the “perfect” choice was doomed to failure. It’s best, Simon reasoned, to pick a course of action and adjust it as needed as circumstances change. In his 1994 book The Paradox of Choice, social scientist Barry Schwartz argued that modern consumers are often faced with a bewildering array of products. Trying to choose the best is a classic case of overanalyzing the problem. Consumers, he found, would often face “analysis paralysis” from conflicting information conveyed by advertisers, consumer groups, word of mouth and their own experiences.
There are many other examples of overanalyzing a choice or an issue. Athletes sometimes “choke” overthinking a crucial game, even if it involves tasks they could easily perform under other circumstances. The rapid turnover of modern technological devices often makes consumers hesitate, especially if they suspect that an updated model will be available shortly. Even after selecting a device, users have to choose from a multitude of possible operating systems, websites and “apps”. An example of overanalyzing classical literature is Shakespeare’s Hamlet, who, confronted with knowledge of his father’s murder, spends most of the play debating how and whether to proceed.
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