Some People Are Like Buridan’s Donkey

Right now you may be thinking, and what is Buridan’s donkey again? Since ancient times, these fluffy friends have been the protagonists of many stories. This is especially true for children’s stories, in which rabbits, ants, pigs and of course donkeys come to life.

Buridan’s donkey is the protagonist in a medieval tale, which tried to attack reason as the only source of knowledge. Specifically, this story arose to criticize John Buridanus’ rational demonstration of the existence of God. However, it can also serve as an attack on anyone else who has tried this. In this article, we’re going to use it differently, but first, let’s learn the story of this historic donkey.

The Story of the Donkey of Buridan

It wasn’t a particularly special donkey. The funny thing about this story is the situation the donkey was in. There are many different versions. Some say the donkey was right between two bales of hay.  Others say he stood between a bale of hay and a bucket of water. What the fable says is that the donkey was a very rational creature. Hence he couldn’t decide between one pile or the other. He stood still and eventually starved to death.

It sounds absurd, right? Well, as absurd as it may seem, you probably know someone who looks a bit like Buridan’s donkey. You may have had the donkey mentality yourself at one point or another. Most of the time, the options we struggle with when it comes time to make a decision are not equivalent to us.  In our eyes, however, they can be equally attractive.

What happens then? We start to look deeper, weigh the pros and cons and… You know what also happens very often? One of the two options disappears. And in the worst case, they both disappear. Then we end up with nothing. As we have said, indecision is the best thief of opportunity.

People who are like Buridan’s donkey

As we mentioned at the beginning of this article, this story arose as a way to critique the predominant use of reason as a means of getting through life. Because it is these overly rational people who find themselves in paradoxes similar to our beloved donkey. And the worst part is that they often end up in the same way.

Other times they don’t, not because they can make a decision in the end, but because time or other people make the choice for them. And they do that by unchecking one of the options. Their behavior as a group is also characteristic. People who are like Buridan’s donkey will never be the ones to decide between two equally attractive plans. But they are the ones who, once someone else has made a choice, will go in the opposite direction. So, people who are like Buridan’s donkey are naturally stationary and are good at torturing people in the kind of group situations we’ve described.

The people who are in the company of these people will eventually start to tolerate them. Also, they will give them the fewest number of decisions or choices possible. They fear that the person may mentally block or experience a rational breakdown. On the other hand, these are also the people that others go to talk about their problems. This is because they have a certain analytical understanding that is very well developed. They will be able to assess the situation in a detailed and complete way in a short time.

Companies know this too. They are looking for a certain type of person to make decisions and a different kind of person to have a good idea of ​​what is happening during a given situation. After all, the same thing happens with politicians. Some are good at diagnosing reality, but later they completely freeze when it comes time to make decisions and change that reality.

An example of rationality stretched to its limits can be found in one of the most charismatic characters on television, Sheldon Cooper. In fact, he’s the one who compares himself to Buridan’s donkey in a scene in The Big Bang Theory. We won’t tell you exactly what that scene is about, because we don’t like spoilers. But you can see it in the seventh episode of the tenth season.

Leaving the big screen behind, let’s take a look inside the dressing rooms of many clothing stores. There we will surely find that person who goes to the dressing room with two pieces of clothing. While he knows that he only has enough money for one of the two. These types of people are capable of getting on their friends’ nerves no matter how patient they are.

Critics of this paradox affirm that human decisions rarely resemble those of our beloved donkey. They say this because human decisions are not based on an objective difference of value. Instead, human decisions are based on the perception of the difference of value. Yet we will all continue to meet people who, when faced with two options, can never decide. Never, even if they have a clear preference for one of the two.