A little while ago I was out with friends at a restaurant that I suggested. Since I was familiar with the menu, I swiftly chose an entree. As my friends reviewed the menu, I saw that they were overwhelmed; there were too many good choices! I then initiated a conversation about choices asking them if they preferred fewer choices in their daily decisions. Both of my friends agreed that they prefer fewer options in life and in some instances, so do I.
I often think about my childhood days and how I didn’t have a
care in the world. Of course, when I was a child I didn’t see it that way;
every little problem seemed so big at the time. What I remember most is how
everything was taken care of for me. I didn’t have to choose dinner, I didn’t
make decisions about the stores we’d shop; I didn't have to make budget
decisions; I didn’t even have to figure out the best way to get to school because all
of these choices were made for me. Thinking back on it now makes me miss those
carefree, “choice-less” days.
While I value the endless options available to me, it is
sometimes overwhelming. For example, after graduating college and joining the
workforce, I lived on my own; it was the first time that I was responsible for
everything. When it was time for me to find a doctor in a town I wasn’t
familiar, it really helped that my job had a small list of available
physicians. Choosing from that list was easy because in some ways, that choice
was made for me. When I moved to Savannah, GA years later, finding a
good physician proved difficult; there were so many choices, so many top-rated
doctors...it was too much! Dr. Iyengar notes that in theory, having lots
of choices is great but not so great in practice. On the matters of choosing a
physician, I just wish I lived in one of those spectacular small towns where there is only one doctor who is
great and knows everything!
I love that I have the responsibility to choose but as an
adult, it's hard; it's even more difficult when so many good options are before
me. Undoubtedly, narrowing down my endless options is almost always a critical
thinking exercise. I weight the pros and cons, I count the cost, and I even try
to see the future benefit. In moments where limitless choices surround me, I
wish I was a kid who didn't really have a choice. This desire for fewer choices
merges well with my thoughts on boundaries. See, we all want our freedom and we
don't want anyone telling us what to do, yet, there is something safe about
boundaries. I was talking with someone last week about childhood and how
annoying it was when we had to be inside at a certain time; my siblings and I
couldn't stay out all night and our parents had to know where we were. One day,
in feisty-teen mode, my sister and I were complaining about our parents' rules
and our friend said she wished her parents cared like our parents cared; the
boundaries we viewed as imprisoning restrictions were interpreted as love to
our very wise friend.
America has not always been the home of the free; several minority groups had their choices made for them and it wasn’t
for their good. Therefore, I understand how having unending options is great when your ancestors lacked that liberty; however, the downside is that there is a resistance to fewer options, even when it may result in a better outcome. Bottom-line, we want to have a voice in matters that affect us and since we feel that we
know ourselves best, we are certain that our choices are best.
http://www.ted.com/talks/sheena_iyengar_on_the_art_of_choosing?language=en#t-681669
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