For a very long time, I took pride in my ability to very quickly categorize problems into binary categories and make decisions on a “black and white”-view of the world. When I explained my decision making, I prefaced it with an “I know that the world is not black and white, but it helps me with making quick and decisive decisions.” and moved on.
A little while ago one of my mentors challenged this view of the world. He reminded me again and again that when faced with the choice between two views which are seemingly at odds, rather than making a quick decision, go slow and figure out how you can have as much as possible of both.
Moreover, sure enough, I found that there is almost always a path in the middle, one which I had not taken the time to figure out and which got me to a much better outcome than either of the extremes.
Look for the path which allows you to get the most out of all possibilities instead of settling for the choice which is in front of you.