We do not choose the day of our birth nor may we choose the day of our death, yet choice is the sovereign faculty of the mind.
– Thornton Wilder
I’ve read a few studies that show that having more choices does not necessarily make the actual choosing easier. It is harder to choose between 10 things than it is to choose between 3 things. When you have more choices you also have a greater fear of making the wrong choice and missing out on other options when you limit yourself to your choice. You can be immobilized by the possibilities.
We could say that is why I have such limited cereal choices in the morning (although habit is a more likely and less philosophical reason). If I have limited choices then I don’t spend time I don’t have staring into the pantry trying to decide what cereal I want that morning. I have at most two options, and that is twice as many as I generally have.
I’m a Cheerios person. That’s my choice. Every now and then I buy a box of Wheat Chex or Raisin Bran or Shredded Wheat for a little variety. But if I had the option of all four cereals every morning I’d have to have the existential discussion in my head of what cereal felt more me morning. By purposefully limiting my choices it’s easy – I’m having Cheerios.
There are a lot of times when increasing your options is the way to go, but if every decision was a multiple choice out of 50 options, you’d spend all your time deciding and none of your time doing.
And that is how I choose to eat Cheerios in the morning.
I’ll save my choice making abilities for other important decisions of the day, like what funky socks to wear.
I am an educator and PhD. I quilt, belly dance, run, read, and try to grow things. I am a Mormon. I am infertile. I am a daughter, sister, aunt, grand-daughter, friend, wife, and mom.
Brett L. Dennis
Mama g
Giggles
AmandaStretch
Yes, you choose Cheerios, but … I know you do not choose Cheerio Dust.
I think both of those are good choices.
😉
I do choose to remove all Cheerio dust. That stuff is just gross.
Isn’t it wonderful to live in a country where we have so many choices? 😀
And Cheerios! My breakfast of choice in Brasil was granola with the real liquid yogurt they have, strawberry yogurt because uncooked strawberries were off limits. 🙂
Interesting you closed this post with decisions about socks. I was almost late for work this morning because I was trying to figure out how to combine four nearly identical socks into two pairs. :brett:
You only have six options for making a pair out of four items. :lisa:
You make it sound easy. :brett:
I’d fold your socks for you, but we fold socks differently and I don’t know if you have as strong of feelings about how your socks are folded as I do. :lisa:
Blake and I fold our socks differently too! 🙂
This paralysis of choice is one of my theories for why some people can’t get it together and find someone to marry. Too many options for some people to handle.
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