Friday 3 February 2012

The Paradox of Choice: Do you really have a choice?

The Paradox of choice is one bewildering concept that everyone of us has at least once definitely questioned.  Have you ever wondered about it? Well, I published an article on it. Check it out and feel free to share your views!

The Paradox of Choice.. Ever Wondered?


Since the creation of mankind, about 65 million years ago, man has discovered the limitless diversity of choices he has been exposed to. The ability to choose has been learned quite proudly by man though only experience has taught him its rather bitter paradoxical nature. If paradox is defined as “a statement that seems self-contradictory or absurd but in reality expresses a possible truth” and choice, as “a mental process of judging merits of the possible options available and choosing one of them”, then paradox of choice is the right to choose that does not actually exist.

While, the right of choice is every individual's domain, it has proven to be a far more complex enigma. According to Kathleen hall, “one's life is a product of choices". Man seemingly possesses freewill but his choices are seen to be rather a product of the circumstances providence creates for him; the limitations of the options he is presented with make the concept of free choice absurd. Ever since the beginning of time, man's actions have been influenced by social pressures such as his familial background, caste, societal norms, beliefs, physical constraints etc. Such external limitations have shaped his perceptions and life choices.

Although freedom of choice is meant to facilitate the lives of men; suiting their individual requirements, today’s highly commercialized world of information age and technology has rather driven the minds of men dizzy with far too many options. Ever since the end of communism and the advent of capitalism, the miraculous possibilities in the lifestyles of people have greatly affected human priorities from humanity to materialism. Now, man not only has the choice amongst uncountable hair products but he can also alter his physical features with cosmetic surgery and even change the sex of his child before it is conceived! The latest fashion trends have to be followed by the public and those unaware are looked down upon.

Man is mostly a passive absorber in the face of persuasion of the dominant culture in his society. Seldom people venture to deviate from the general rule and prefer to fit in with the regular crowd. The capitalist world of today has inclined people's choices towards their projected products in order to favor their economic growth. Media has been an effective tool in brainwashing people and making the majority of the world's population conformists. This is how the right of choice has become non-personal and non-existent. Above all, the prevalent view of liberty of action and freedom of choice has been largely misunderstood. The numerous choices that the present world offers to man have crippled his decision making power and resulted in more dissatisfaction.

Although, in theory, commercialism presents more options to facilitate a better final decision; in practice, nonetheless, it has deprived man of his personal choice in the face of the dominant preference. Choice no longer remains personal and man subconsciously wishes he actually had his verdict in his choices. Therefore, the biggest paradox of choice is that we cannot choose what we want to choose.


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