The Paradox of Choice

Life is full of choices. As a kid, the choices are much simpler, at least from the grown up perspective. Growing up complicates them, introduces forks in the path with much higher stakes. This is especially true in the post-industrial, global melting pot of a world where we live today. With higher education and jobs taking people half way across the planet, away from everything they've grown up with, the complexities pile on. I often wonder about people who haven't had much of a say in shaping their own lives. They've followed the path laid out for them for the most part. While I personally can't imagine being in their shoes, many such people I've come across seem happy within what they've got. It's almost like they don't know they have choices so they've learnt to make the most of their little worlds. On the other hand, we have others who are often left over-thinking decisions because they have so much choice and freedom. That's not to say that all of us in the second category are unhappy. But I feel that too much choice makes for a much more complex life and definitely increases the probability of unhappiness creeping into one's life. But I guess at the end of the day it's a trade off - that is the paradox of choice.