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Forbes
an hour ago
- Forbes
2 Signs ‘Decision Fatigue' Is Killing Your Love Life, By A Psychologist
Modern dating should, for many reasons, be easier than it's ever been. With so many different places to find love, and so many tips and tricks to use while searching for it, intuition might lead you to believe it's a seamless process. Reality, however, consistently proves otherwise. One of many reasons for this could be 'decision fatigue.' Derived from classic research published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, this concept refers to the mental depletion we experience after making too many choices. In the context of romance, decision fatigue arises when the seemingly convenient abundance of avenues for finding a partner start to, ironically, backfire. Here's two signs that you could be experiencing this in your love life. 1. Avoidance Feels Easier Than Engagement Whether you're conscious of it or not, even the most inconsequential decision demands a portion of your limited and invaluable cognitive resources. Each choice on what to eat, what to wear, how to spend your free time and who to spend it with costs something within you. Psychologist Roy Baumeister, who popularized the term decision fatigue, explored this in a 2005 study. 'Has the proliferation of choice uniformly made life easier and better?' he asks. Ultimately, according to his review of research, it hasn't. He explains, 'Choice, to the extent that it requires greater decision-making among options, can become burdensome and ultimately counterproductive.' In this sense, when you've spent all day making decisions at work and at home, you're left with significantly less capacity for thoughtful engagement in other areas of life. In turn, we resort to using quick mental shortcuts in these secondary areas, like dating. Given the rapid expansion and modernization of the dating pool and industry, our decisions are no longer limited to simply picking a good outfit and restaurant for a first date. We have to choose which dating app to use, which photos to upload and which of the countless people to 'swipe right' on. Then, we still need to choose how to engage and connect with these potential partners. We have to write thoughtful text messages, anticipate all the possible responses we could receive, choose all the 'right' words, as well as still decide whether or not they're worth pursuing. These various decisions, along with their varying outcomes, can become incredibly overwhelming in a cognitive sense. As a result, when the brain slowly but surely becomes depleted from them, it often convinces us to opt for less demanding actions — that is, inaction. This exhaustion might lead you to leave texts unanswered for days, as the effort of choosing how to respond feels burdensome. You might delay confirming dates and times for dates simply due to how taxing they can feel. And sometimes, you might even ghost potential partners altogether. Despite knowing how negatively your dodging and disengaging may come across as, it still beats the exhaustion that comes with decision-making. However, despite the energy you save, you also deny yourself the opportunity to find lasting love. 2. You Default To Impulsivity Instead Of Effort The counter-tradeoff your brain might make in the face of decision fatigue is taking the path of least resistance. Rather than wasting precious time and energy on evaluating long-term goals or personal values, you might instead opt for what feels easiest or most immediately gratifying in the moment. As 2018 research from the Journal of Health Psychology explains, it's not at all uncommon for decision fatigue to result in impulsivity. When avoiding a decision altogether isn't a feasible option, the next best shortcut would be to spend as little cognitive resources as humanly possible. These efficient yet impulsive decisions can occur in various areas of one's dating life. You might 'swipe right' on people you're not all that interested in, simply due to how tiring it might be to try and find someone better. You might say 'yes' to a date you're not particularly keen to go on, just to avoid the effort of finding someone else, or even the effort to politely decline. You might even go so far as to rekindle a relationship with an ex. As poorly as it ended, or even as incompatible as you were, their familiarity still demands less energy of you than starting fresh. According to a 2023 study on consumer psychology, decision fatigue has long been observed to increase our reliance on 'default' options. In online shopping, for instance, consumers are known to pick options they see first — rather than scrolling through endless options that could potentially prove more worthwhile. We make impulsive, energy-conserving choices like these each and every day. When deciding what to make for dinner, and what show to watch after, the rule of thumb often ends up being either picking what you see first, or what seems easiest. When it comes to relationships, these impulsive defaults might mean settling for a partner who isn't right for you, or even slipping into old patterns because they demand less mental work. But, regardless of the exhaustion we avoid, we also put ourselves at risk of dissatisfaction and heartbreak later down the line. How To Protect Your Love Life From 'Decision Fatigue' You might be inclined to dismiss your decision fatigue as a minor inconvenience. Of course, everyone gets tired of making choices; you might tell yourself that you're just doing what everyone else is, or what's arguably best for you in the long run. However, the stakes are higher when it comes to dating. Choosing when to engage or disengage and whether or not to commit aren't preferences that have short-lasting consequences. They can, and likely will, have tangible impacts on the trajectory of your relationships. That said, if you've been leaning on shortcuts in your dating life, you're already on a good path. The strategy, however, shouldn't entail total avoidance or sheer impulsivity. Rather, you'll find more success in the middle ground: where structure reduces your cognitive load, but without stripping away your choices altogether. If you want practical ways to land in that middle ground, consider: If lasting love is really what you want, the process of searching for it will always involve choices. That part is, unfortunately, unavoidable. However, these decisions shouldn't be sapping you of your energy altogether. If you give your heart and your brain equal importance and rest throughout the process, you're more likely to find love that energizes you. Is decision fatigue leading to self-sabotage in your love life? Take this science-backed test to find out: Relationship Sabotage Scale
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Yahoo
Many towns are unprepared to handle train derailments and hazmat spills
A train derails and spills at least 1,000 gallons of hazardous materials in the U.S. about once every two months. Nearly half of those derailments resulted in evacuations; more than a quarter resulted in a fire or explosion since 2015, an analysis of federal derailment data showed. And many communities along the rail lines aren't prepared to keep people safe when it happens. That's the finding of an investigation by the University of Maryland's Howard Center for Investigative Journalism that reviewed hundreds of rail safety documents and reports and interviewed dozens of industry professionals and first responders. The Howard Center also obtained unprecedented access to rail data collected by a network of AI-enhanced camera sensors, which allowed reporters to track shipments of hazardous materials along 2,200 miles of rail lines between the U.S.-Canadian border and West Texas. That data, provided by a private company called RailState LLC, showed that over the last six months at least 130,000 rail cars displaying placards for hazardous materials moved along sections of rail lines stretching from Blaine, Washington, to Amarillo, Texas. Those cars passed the homes of at least 2.5 million people living within a mile of the tracks, along with more than 1,000 schools and 80 hospitals, the analysis found. 'I think it's fair to say that most communities are probably not aware of what chemicals are going up and down the railroads in their backyard, day in and day out,'' said Jamie Burgess, a hazmat training director at the International Association of Firefighters. First responders often lack the information, training, equipment and detailed planning needed to safely respond in the immediate aftermath of a hazmat derailment. Fewer than one in five fire departments nationwide have their own team of hazmat specialists, according to the U.S. Fire Administration. Confronted with a catastrophic hazmat derailment, local firefighters rely on a web of mutual support — from nearby departments, regional hazmat teams, state and federal officials, and railroad contractors — for the expertise and equipment they may lack. Yet those teams might be hours away, leaving firefighters to handle the unfolding crisis on their own. After a Norfolk Southern train derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, in 2023, it took more than an hour for firefighters with specialized hazmat training to arrive at the scene. 'It's usually the first time that they've ever dealt with something like this, and they're overwhelmed in the beginning,' said Paul Stancil, who recently left his job as a senior hazardous materials accident investigator with the National Transportation Safety Board. 'That was a problem in East Palestine. It's a problem in almost every site.' In 2024, railroad industry-funded hazmat training initiatives reached at least 80,000 first responders, according to industry estimates. But this represents just a fraction of the estimated 1 million career and volunteer firefighters in the U.S, according to U.S. Fire Administration numbers. Jessica Kahanek, a spokesperson for the Association of American Railroads, said rail is the safest way to transport hazardous materials over land, adding that U.S. railroads safely carried more than 2 million hazardous material shipments in 2024. The Howard Center analysis of federal data found 57 derailments in the last decade that resulted in the release of at least 1,000 gallons (3,800 liters) of hazardous material. Twenty-six of those derailments resulted in evacuations; 16 caused fires or an explosion. When such derailments occur, firefighters called to the scene often face a critical problem: Many don't know what chemicals are on board the train and what the exposure risks might be. And federal regulators have delayed the requirement to immediately supply that information. In a letter to federal regulators this month, East Palestine Fire Chief Keith Drabick criticized the delay and urged regulators to enforce a stricter timeline on railroads. 'The 2023 East Palestine derailment in my village highlighted a critical lack of timely communication with public safety about hazardous materials information involved in rail emergencies,' Drabick wrote. Without strict enforcement by regulators, he added, 'I am concerned that the derailment in my community could be repeated.' 'We were untrained ... we were ill prepared' When communities are unprepared for a hazmat spill, the consequences can be dire. In 2012, a derailment in Paulsboro, New Jersey, sent several tank cars carrying vinyl chloride — a highly toxic and flammable chemical — plunging into a creek. One of the tank cars broke open, spewing a cloud of toxic gas that engulfed the surrounding area. Local police and volunteer firefighters, initially confused about the chemical released, approached the wreck without breathing protection — even standing in the cloud. The initial evacuation area was too small, investigators later found, and many nearby residents spent hours in the exposure zone. More than 700 residents and responders reported symptoms of chemical exposure. A subsequent NTSB report found the poor emergency response contributed to the severity of the accident. 'We've never experienced anything of this magnitude in my entire career,' said Chris Wachter, Paulsboro's police chief at the time of the derailment. 'We were untrained for it. We were ill-prepared for it.' Paulsboro fire officials declined to be interviewed for this story. Emergency officials for Gloucester County — which includes Paulsboro — also declined an interview but said in an emailed statement there has been 'significant improvement' in the capabilities of the county's Hazardous Materials Team and relationships with municipal first responder organizations. Vinyl chloride represents just a fraction of the hazardous chemicals that move regularly on the rails. A Howard Center analysis of RailState's data found that, excluding petroleum and alcohol, the top hazardous chemicals moved by train include sulfuric acid, chlorine, hydrochloric acid and ammonia — all highly toxic, and potentially lethal in high concentrations. Vinyl chloride is a key ingredient in PVC plastic, used in construction and packaging materials. Chlorine is a widely used disinfectant and is used in water treatment plants across the U.S. Sulfuric acid and ammonia make fertilizer used on farms. Many hazardous chemicals can move more than a thousand miles by train from manufacturer to end user, the Howard Center analysis found. Federal dollars for preparedness getting tighter Though the disasters in Paulsboro and East Palestine prompted calls for improved hazmat preparedness for firefighters, many departments don't have the resources. Federal funding is a major source of training and equipment for fire departments, but it increasingly falls short of the demand. Money given out by grant programs has dramatically declined in recent years, even as costs have gone up for fire departments, said Sarah Wilson Handler, vice president for grants at Lexipol, a firm that provides consulting services to police and fire departments. In fiscal year 2024, fire departments across the country requested nearly $4 billion in funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program, but the agency only made $291 million available. Port Huron, Michigan, can't afford to skimp on emergency preparedness for toxic chemical spills. Located on the Canadian border, the city of 30,000 sits across the St. Clair River from what locals call 'Chemical Valley,' where dozens of chemical plants and oil refineries are clustered in Sarnia, Ontario. Many of these chemicals are exported to the U.S. According to the St. Clair County emergency operations plan, it's the second-most highly trafficked border crossing in the country for toxic chemicals. Over the last six months, RailState data showed an average of 450 train cars with hazardous material placards passed through a mile-long tunnel that runs under the St. Clair River between the U.S. and Canada. A placard indicates the car is loaded with hazardous material or contains hazmat residue. In 2019, a Canadian National train derailed inside that tunnel, spilling over 12,000 gallons (45,400 liters) of sulfuric acid. The response counted on a web of support from local and state agencies, railroad hazmat specialists and Canadian authorities, all under the direction of the Environmental Protection Agency. But the future of federal support — including the grant money the county hazmat team covering Port Huron relies on — is uncertain. President Donald Trump has repeatedly questioned the future of FEMA, and the federal disaster agency has seen severe cuts and staff departures in recent weeks. Port Huron Fire Chief Corey Nicholson said federal dollars ebb and flow, but he's worried about the potential for funding cuts. When grants dry up, spending on hazmat gear and training gets harder. 'Do I spend my money on the single-family dwelling fires that I know are going to happen that are high risk, high frequency? Or do I spend money on a bunch of equipment that I'll probably never use?' Nicholson asked. 'There's so many mouths to feed and there's only so much money to do it with.' ___ Aline Behar Kado, Paul Kiefer, Alaysia Ezzard, Ijeoma Opara, Menna Ibrahim, Molecule Jongwilai, Marijke Friedman, Josephine Johnson, April Quevedo, Tiasia Saunders and Declan Bradley of the Howard Center for Investigative Journalism contributed reporting and data analysis for this story. ___ The Howard Center for Investigative Journalism at the University of Maryland is funded by a grant from the Scripps Howard Foundation in honor of newspaper pioneer Roy W. Howard. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Yahoo
Many towns are unprepared to handle train derailments and hazmat spills
A train derails and spills at least 1,000 gallons of hazardous materials in the U.S. about once every two months. Nearly half of those derailments resulted in evacuations; more than a quarter resulted in a fire or explosion since 2015, an analysis of federal derailment data showed. And many communities along the rail lines aren't prepared to keep people safe when it happens. That's the finding of an investigation by the University of Maryland's Howard Center for Investigative Journalism that reviewed hundreds of rail safety documents and reports and interviewed dozens of industry professionals and first responders. The Howard Center also obtained unprecedented access to rail data collected by a network of AI-enhanced camera sensors, which allowed reporters to track shipments of hazardous materials along 2,200 miles of rail lines between the U.S.-Canadian border and West Texas. That data, provided by a private company called RailState LLC, showed that over the last six months at least 130,000 rail cars displaying placards for hazardous materials moved along sections of rail lines stretching from Blaine, Washington, to Amarillo, Texas. Those cars passed the homes of at least 2.5 million people living within a mile of the tracks, along with more than 1,000 schools and 80 hospitals, the analysis found. 'I think it's fair to say that most communities are probably not aware of what chemicals are going up and down the railroads in their backyard, day in and day out,'' said Jamie Burgess, a hazmat training director at the International Association of Firefighters. First responders often lack the information, training, equipment and detailed planning needed to safely respond in the immediate aftermath of a hazmat derailment. Fewer than one in five fire departments nationwide have their own team of hazmat specialists, according to the U.S. Fire Administration. Confronted with a catastrophic hazmat derailment, local firefighters rely on a web of mutual support — from nearby departments, regional hazmat teams, state and federal officials, and railroad contractors — for the expertise and equipment they may lack. Yet those teams might be hours away, leaving firefighters to handle the unfolding crisis on their own. After a Norfolk Southern train derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, in 2023, it took more than an hour for firefighters with specialized hazmat training to arrive at the scene. 'It's usually the first time that they've ever dealt with something like this, and they're overwhelmed in the beginning,' said Paul Stancil, who recently left his job as a senior hazardous materials accident investigator with the National Transportation Safety Board. 'That was a problem in East Palestine. It's a problem in almost every site.' In 2024, railroad industry-funded hazmat training initiatives reached at least 80,000 first responders, according to industry estimates. But this represents just a fraction of the estimated 1 million career and volunteer firefighters in the U.S, according to U.S. Fire Administration numbers. Jessica Kahanek, a spokesperson for the Association of American Railroads, said rail is the safest way to transport hazardous materials over land, adding that U.S. railroads safely carried more than 2 million hazardous material shipments in 2024. The Howard Center analysis of federal data found 57 derailments in the last decade that resulted in the release of at least 1,000 gallons (3,800 liters) of hazardous material. Twenty-six of those derailments resulted in evacuations; 16 caused fires or an explosion. When such derailments occur, firefighters called to the scene often face a critical problem: Many don't know what chemicals are on board the train and what the exposure risks might be. And federal regulators have delayed the requirement to immediately supply that information. In a letter to federal regulators this month, East Palestine Fire Chief Keith Drabick criticized the delay and urged regulators to enforce a stricter timeline on railroads. 'The 2023 East Palestine derailment in my village highlighted a critical lack of timely communication with public safety about hazardous materials information involved in rail emergencies,' Drabick wrote. Without strict enforcement by regulators, he added, 'I am concerned that the derailment in my community could be repeated.' 'We were untrained ... we were ill prepared' When communities are unprepared for a hazmat spill, the consequences can be dire. In 2012, a derailment in Paulsboro, New Jersey, sent several tank cars carrying vinyl chloride — a highly toxic and flammable chemical — plunging into a creek. One of the tank cars broke open, spewing a cloud of toxic gas that engulfed the surrounding area. Local police and volunteer firefighters, initially confused about the chemical released, approached the wreck without breathing protection — even standing in the cloud. The initial evacuation area was too small, investigators later found, and many nearby residents spent hours in the exposure zone. More than 700 residents and responders reported symptoms of chemical exposure. A subsequent NTSB report found the poor emergency response contributed to the severity of the accident. 'We've never experienced anything of this magnitude in my entire career,' said Chris Wachter, Paulsboro's police chief at the time of the derailment. 'We were untrained for it. We were ill-prepared for it.' Paulsboro fire officials declined to be interviewed for this story. Emergency officials for Gloucester County — which includes Paulsboro — also declined an interview but said in an emailed statement there has been 'significant improvement' in the capabilities of the county's Hazardous Materials Team and relationships with municipal first responder organizations. Vinyl chloride represents just a fraction of the hazardous chemicals that move regularly on the rails. A Howard Center analysis of RailState's data found that, excluding petroleum and alcohol, the top hazardous chemicals moved by train include sulfuric acid, chlorine, hydrochloric acid and ammonia — all highly toxic, and potentially lethal in high concentrations. Vinyl chloride is a key ingredient in PVC plastic, used in construction and packaging materials. Chlorine is a widely used disinfectant and is used in water treatment plants across the U.S. Sulfuric acid and ammonia make fertilizer used on farms. Many hazardous chemicals can move more than a thousand miles by train from manufacturer to end user, the Howard Center analysis found. Federal dollars for preparedness getting tighter Though the disasters in Paulsboro and East Palestine prompted calls for improved hazmat preparedness for firefighters, many departments don't have the resources. Federal funding is a major source of training and equipment for fire departments, but it increasingly falls short of the demand. Money given out by grant programs has dramatically declined in recent years, even as costs have gone up for fire departments, said Sarah Wilson Handler, vice president for grants at Lexipol, a firm that provides consulting services to police and fire departments. In fiscal year 2024, fire departments across the country requested nearly $4 billion in funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program, but the agency only made $291 million available. Port Huron, Michigan, can't afford to skimp on emergency preparedness for toxic chemical spills. Located on the Canadian border, the city of 30,000 sits across the St. Clair River from what locals call 'Chemical Valley,' where dozens of chemical plants and oil refineries are clustered in Sarnia, Ontario. Many of these chemicals are exported to the U.S. According to the St. Clair County emergency operations plan, it's the second-most highly trafficked border crossing in the country for toxic chemicals. Over the last six months, RailState data showed an average of 450 train cars with hazardous material placards passed through a mile-long tunnel that runs under the St. Clair River between the U.S. and Canada. A placard indicates the car is loaded with hazardous material or contains hazmat residue. In 2019, a Canadian National train derailed inside that tunnel, spilling over 12,000 gallons (45,400 liters) of sulfuric acid. The response counted on a web of support from local and state agencies, railroad hazmat specialists and Canadian authorities, all under the direction of the Environmental Protection Agency. But the future of federal support — including the grant money the county hazmat team covering Port Huron relies on — is uncertain. President Donald Trump has repeatedly questioned the future of FEMA, and the federal disaster agency has seen severe cuts and staff departures in recent weeks. Port Huron Fire Chief Corey Nicholson said federal dollars ebb and flow, but he's worried about the potential for funding cuts. When grants dry up, spending on hazmat gear and training gets harder. 'Do I spend my money on the single-family dwelling fires that I know are going to happen that are high risk, high frequency? Or do I spend money on a bunch of equipment that I'll probably never use?' Nicholson asked. 'There's so many mouths to feed and there's only so much money to do it with.' ___ Aline Behar Kado, Paul Kiefer, Alaysia Ezzard, Ijeoma Opara, Menna Ibrahim, Molecule Jongwilai, Marijke Friedman, Josephine Johnson, April Quevedo, Tiasia Saunders and Declan Bradley of the Howard Center for Investigative Journalism contributed reporting and data analysis for this story. ___ The Howard Center for Investigative Journalism at the University of Maryland is funded by a grant from the Scripps Howard Foundation in honor of newspaper pioneer Roy W. Howard. By Liam Bowman, Taylor Nichols And Mary Burke / Howard Center For Investigative Journalism, The Associated Press
