Dragging The Burden Of Choosing One Path

[Lou7]

I got split between 2 roads:

  1) academic way of studying the mind - going through psychology to neuroscience

   2) merging my interests into something new and unique but to start it I need a 9 to 5 and to get it I decided to learn programming for a few hours a day

I've already made my decision to follow my dream and to value creativity over success inside the system. The point is everyday like 2-3 times a day I stop for like 5-10min to wonder what it would be like to go the other path - I feel like we're in times of progress in that field - brain studying, neural correlates of consciousness and I imagine myself doing that discovery (I know - ego) and that moment being totally mystical and magical. What should I do with it? Should I follow those thoughts and just wonder untill it stops after some time or should I follow some neuroscience news Facebook page to stay up to date to quench my thirst about some new discovery? What do you guys advise? Maybe some book about letting go. I feel really guilty to listen to those thoughts especially when I'm doing something productive when they come - it really pisses me off.

[HikiNEET]

I think that you need to be more familiar with your intuition. You are rationalizing too much on your choice.

Edited June 16, 2017 by HikiNEET

[Anicca]

Your problem is common, the more good options you are aware of the harder it is to finally settle on one.

I really struggle with either studying psychology academically or doing something more radical and extraordinary (I have been thinking a lot about living in a cabin in the woods for a year and having psychologists do empirical research on my behaviour and brain function).

Society (at least in Europe) has made it 10x easier to just go with academia but that is actually a hint that tells me not to follow that path.

On the other hand, somebody has to go and try to advance holism in the system of academia which is why there is purpose in studying psychology aswell.

But if your Life Purpose is something creative outside of academia and you are passionate about it, lucky you, go with it and don't get distracted so much. And if you are interested in neuroscience - why not read about it in your free time? Maybe that knowledge will come in handy at some point of your life