Let’s Make Choices That Make Us Miserable

Do you ever find yourself in a situation and you’re just like — this sucks. Why am I doing this? And then you remember that you chose it because you’re an adult and you can do whatever you want and you get to deal with the consequences.

Like, you can eat a cup of beans before bedtime if you want, but get ready for aftermath.

Or — sure, keep the job you hate but don’t be surprised when the misery doesn’t go away.

Or — yeah, lick that water fountain. But that illness is not going to come out of nowhere. And no one was asking you to do that. You just did it.

Or—definitely wear waders in the middle of Millennium Park in July. But it’s gonna be hot, and waders are not breathable.

Or—sure, eat yogurt! But dairy is bad and will turn you into a demon.

So I’m adding a simple question to my decision-making tree—will this make me miserable? If yes, is it a productive misery? If no, then . . . how about not doing it.

It’s also important to remember that misery is not a virtue, unlike what I was told growing up. There’s a suffering fetish in Christianity because of you-know-who. Misery is not a virtue! Say it three times now.

Don’t make yourself miserable! You can choose otherwise!