When one is confused and spends more time then necessary mulling over the multitude of variables that come into play when making decisions.
Much like self pleasuring, the vast amount of thoughts that pertain to the situation in which you are trying to make the decision flood or overwhelm your thought process/senses thereby causing you to become consumed with nonsensical thoughts that end up wasting yours and others time.
When Joe finally caught up with the rest of the gang they wondered what had taken him so long,

he replied 'I had to listen to Amy mentally masturbate over which iphone cover to buy'
by Chilcotin Buddha January 7, 2014
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Intellectual activity that serves no practical purpose.
We debated and created a perfect system of government, but it was all just mental masturbation, really.
by Ryan February 18, 2005
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the act of engaging in intelligent and interesting conversation purely for the enjoyment of your own greatness and individuality. Subjects range from obscure lp's to cultural movements in preindustrial societies. Either delivered through grand monlogues or subtle conversation orientation, it links large words and random references resulting in nothing acually being communicated.
Though the influence of Ric Okasisk was quite evident within Weezer's blue album, rivers coumo domination of the lyrical form seem quite evident in Pinkerton
by Robert finkle February 19, 2005
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When someone gets turned on with only the images the person thinks of in their head.
By the look of their face, I can tell they're currently mental masturbating.
by The Big Thicc August 14, 2019
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The act of looking up the term "Mental Masturbation". You should have better things to do. Now go do it! Geez!!!
I knew I was wasting time thinking about things that didn't amount to anything useful. So I wondered if I was the only. I looked up "Mental Masturbation" and confirmed it.
by XAlterEgoX October 20, 2015
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The act of engaging in useless yet intellectually stimulating conversation, usually as an excuse to avoid taking constructive action in your life.
Guy 1: "If only I had taken Cindy to my high school prom, I could have fucked her instead of that loser Jeff and then now she would be my girlfriend."

Guy 2: "Dude, stop that mental masturbation right now and go out and meet a new girl!"
by SweetP April 12, 2005
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Intellectual activity that serves no practical purpose. Excessively theoretical, and therefore a distraction from more practicable matters.
Dr. Richard Dawkins, noted biological theorist, in response to a student's philosophical question about skeptical attitudes towards science and reality, cited the following anecdote:

<paraphrasing>
James Boswell asked, "... nothing really exists unless there's somebody there to see it. How do you refute that?" Samuel Johnson replied, "I refute it thus!", and kicked a stone out of his way.
<\paraphrasing>

Dr. Dawkins, commenting on Boswell's question, and critiquing the attitude: "If you want to mess about with that sort of mental masturbation, thats fine, but, ... but the science of reality is what gets you through the day, ... and makes things work!"
by The Practical Atheist December 12, 2009
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