I've Thought About This For A While

Policemen have to make snap decisions that can actually affect their lives, as well as the lives of others. That is why they sometimes shoot people who are not really a threat - at the time a decision had to be made and there was no real time to think it over.
Athletes are constantly making very quick decisions - where to throw the ball as a 300+ behemoth is bearing down on them with intent to kill, which way to dodge to avoid the bonecrushing check, or even just swinging at a small ball coming towards them at 100 miles per hour.
Emergency room doctors have to know what treatment will save a person's life, and they have to be able to do it at the drop of a hat while they are being bled on and everything.
Those in the military have to be prepared to jump into battle and know who to shoot and where to move for better cover and have to do it all while bullets and other explosives are flying at them.
I am mentioning all of this because I have noticed something (probably fairly obvious to others) about myself - I do not make decisions quickly. And when I do, I often find better options after it is too late. This was illustrated recently with my car - I tried to get it safetied quickly, and ended up having all sorts of difficulties. I don't know if it I could have gotten anything done quicker than I did, but I do know that it could have worked out much easier. But because I made a quick decision, I made a less than ideal decision.
I greatly admire people who are good at thinking on their feet - people who can see a situation and instantly assess their options. I am not like that at all. I need time to think things through, and, I think, to become comfortable with my decision. Sometimes I make a decision and I have to live with it for a little while before I am satisfied.
Of course, the flip side to this is that my decisions are pretty much final. I am willing to change my mind if I am wrong about something, but I am not easily swayed by opinions. If I decided that, after much thought, investing heavily in real estate in the US right now was a good idea, and then someone came along and told me about the economic problems down there meant it would be easier for me to physically burn my money and I would end up with about the same amount, then I would change my mind. But if I decided, after much consideration, that John Mayer, Jack Johnson, and all of their clones performed music that simply did not interest me at all, then no amount of arguing could dissuade me from my opinion. My decisions are final unless I change my own mind.
What it means for me is that sometimes I feel that 'the world' is generally geared towards people who decide quickly. I often feel like I am pressured in to making decisions before I am ready. Everything seems to be all about being fast and immediate whereas I just want to sit back and relax, to take my time. I guess it is just one more area where I butt heads with society as a whole.

On a related note - the word 'literal' has a homynym: littoral, which, as an adjective, talks about things related to or on a coastal or shore region, especially the sea. I like the word.