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Decision & Control - Choices & Decisions

Explore English idioms regarding choices and decisions with examples like "change of heart" and "the lesser of two evils".

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English idioms related to Decision & Control
Hobson's choice

a choice made in a situation in which no other options were available

Ex: Accepting the pay cut was a Hobson's choice; the only alternative was losing his job. 
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to [pick] and [choose]

‌to choose the most desirable alternative out of the ones available

Ex: You cannot pick and choose which rules to follow. 
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the lesser of two evils

a choice or option that seems less harmful or unpleasant out of two that one is confronted with

Ex: Taking the night bus was the lesser of two evils; the taxi was far too expensive. 
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embarrassment of riches

a situation in which there is too much of resources or options for one to choose from

Ex: With so many excellent restaurants, I had an embarrassment of riches deciding where to eat. 
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(as|) broad as it is long

used for saying that choosing out of the two possible options is not really going to make a difference as the result will be the same either way

Ex: Whether we drive or take the train is as broad as it is long; we will arrive at the same time. 
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to [have] {sb/sth} in mind

to consider someone or something when doing or mentioning something

Ex: Did you have anyone in mind for the team leader role? 
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to [take|have] {one's} pick

to choose something out of two or a group of things available to one

Ex: At the buffet, everyone could take their pick of desserts. 
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to [come] down on one side of the fence or the other

to decide between two possible alternatives or choices that one has

Ex: You can't stay neutral forever; sooner or later you'll have to come down on one side of the fence or the other. 
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to [take] {sth} into account

to consider something when trying to make a judgment or decision

Ex: We need to take the extra costs into account before we approve the project. 
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to [chew] {one's} cud

to spend time considering one's future action before making a decision

Ex: Before accepting the offer, he spent the weekend chewing his cud. 
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to [go] down (that|the) road

to choose to do something in a specified manner

Ex: If we go down that road, we'll need to be ready for a long legal fight. 
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in {one's} right [mind]

in a state that one is capable of making logical decisions or behaving normally

Ex: No one in their right mind would sign that contract without reading it first. 
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change of heart

the action of adopting a different opinion or mindset

Ex: She was against the plan at first, but she had a change of heart after hearing the details. 
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on second thought

used to state that one has adopted a different opinion

Ex: I was going to order coffee, but on second thought, I'll have tea. 
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to [change] horses (in|) midstream

to adopt a different policy in face of a difficult or unexpected problem

Ex: The project was already behind schedule, so changing horses midstream would only make things worse. 
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fork in the road

a point in a person's life or a situation where they must make a critical decision or choose between two different options or paths

Ex: Graduating from university was a fork in the road for him; he had to choose between a career abroad or staying in his hometown. 
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deal breaker

a factor or issue that is significant enough to cause a person to abandon negotiations, discussions, or a potential relationship

Ex: The price was almost perfect, but the shipping fees were a deal breaker. 
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middle ground

a compromise between two sides

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to [trust] {one's} gut

to follow one's instinct or inner feeling

Ex: She trusted her gut and turned down the offer. 
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to [take] a (long|) hard look at {sth}

to think about or consider something very carefully, particularly with the intention of improving it in mind

Ex: Before submitting the report, she took a long hard look at all the data. 
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to [change] {one's} mind

to change one's opinion or decision regarding something

Ex: I was going to quit, but I changed my mind after talking to my manager. 
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to [give] {sth} a pass

to excuse or overlook something without criticism or consequences

Ex: The software gave the minor warning a pass without any errors. 
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to [take] (matters|affairs|things) into {one's} own hands

to do something oneself as opposed to waiting for others

Ex: When no one responded to her request for help, she took matters into her own hands. 
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