Choice

Choice is more prevalent in the 21st century than it ever has been in human history. Even a few decades ago, people had less freedom to choose where to live, what to do for a living, or who you married.

Choice and certainty are inversely related. The more choice you have, the more certain you will be. For example, you don’t have to worry about what you’re going to eat for dinner if the only thing your family has is bread.

This can lead to an existential crisis. Instead of just going through your day, we now wonder, “who am I?”, “what am I doing with my life?”, and “who should I pick as a romatic partner?“.

The Paradox of Choice

Too much choice leads to the paradox of choice: too many options lead to increased doubt about our choice, and when we do make a choice we are less happy with our choice.

This is similarly related to analysis paralysis.