As Sarah, Nicole, and I have been planning out our upcoming road trip, we've talked a lot about choices. As 22 year olds who have just graduated college, we have so many choices, so many different paths to go down. We're lucky to live in a society that provides us with these endless opportunities, or are we?
Psychologist Barry Schwartz argues in his book The Paradox of Choice that "more is less" and that the more choices we are given or give ourselves, the less satisfaction and fulfillment we will receive.
Schwartz may be on to something here. While I have not read the book (yet), I do understand his basic argument. We have so many choices to make every day, whether it be a career choice, which college to go to, or something as simple as what brand of toothpaste to use, we have options, and oh so many of them. At a certain point, he argues, rather than feeling the freedom of making one's own choices, we become bogged down by decisions to the point that the questioning traps and confines us in our own self-doubt.
I think anyone who has recently graduated can relate to that. I have so many different career paths I could choose. I went to a Liberal Arts college and majored in Political Science. With little interest in pursuing politics, I am equally prepared and unprepared for just about any career out there. You'd think this would be an exciting time in one's life, and sometimes it is! Other times? Not so much.
How can I choose one thing, when another might be better? How can I weigh the benefits of doing something against the time lost on it that could have been spent on something else? I've never felt the weight of choice so much as I do now.
I was recently eating dinner with my boyfriend Brent (who told me about this book, actually) and we were talking about this very problem. We have so many options, we just can't choose anything anymore - be it a career, a place to live, or even what to eat for dinner. And I know we're not alone....
To demonstrate this predicament, I'd like to share something that happened to me recently at a nearby Starbucks. The man ahead of me in line was carefully analyzing the Starbucks drink menu, looking through each and every section, squinting at the small print showing what country those particular coffee beans are from, until finally he sighed, exasperated, and asked the girl behind the counter, "Do you have coffee here?"
After a brief, confused pause the girl politely answered, listing off the various coffees that could be purchased, different "multi-regional blends," cappuccinos, lattes, etc. etc. (Anyone having ever stepped foot in a Starbucks knows how long this list can go on....)
"No, no... just coffee please," the man replied. The sales girl or "barista" as they call them at Starbucks was completely baffled. What was this man trying to pull here? Eventually, however, she gave in and poured whatever was nearest in reach.
I laughed and gave the man a look of complete understanding. I was tempted to tell the barista, "I'll have what he's having," but I figured her world had already been turned upside down once that day and ordered a Pumpkin Spice Lattee just to make things easy for her.
As we prepare questions to ask during our interviews for RTN, I think two of the most important ones to me are going to be, "How did you choose this?" and "Did you ever look back?"
Until then, I'll be doing my best to avoid as many everyday decisions as possible so that I can one day channel all my efforts into something more important.
I think anyone who has recently graduated can relate to that. I have so many different career paths I could choose. I went to a Liberal Arts college and majored in Political Science. With little interest in pursuing politics, I am equally prepared and unprepared for just about any career out there. You'd think this would be an exciting time in one's life, and sometimes it is! Other times? Not so much.
How can I choose one thing, when another might be better? How can I weigh the benefits of doing something against the time lost on it that could have been spent on something else? I've never felt the weight of choice so much as I do now.
I was recently eating dinner with my boyfriend Brent (who told me about this book, actually) and we were talking about this very problem. We have so many options, we just can't choose anything anymore - be it a career, a place to live, or even what to eat for dinner. And I know we're not alone....
To demonstrate this predicament, I'd like to share something that happened to me recently at a nearby Starbucks. The man ahead of me in line was carefully analyzing the Starbucks drink menu, looking through each and every section, squinting at the small print showing what country those particular coffee beans are from, until finally he sighed, exasperated, and asked the girl behind the counter, "Do you have coffee here?"
After a brief, confused pause the girl politely answered, listing off the various coffees that could be purchased, different "multi-regional blends," cappuccinos, lattes, etc. etc. (Anyone having ever stepped foot in a Starbucks knows how long this list can go on....)
"No, no... just coffee please," the man replied. The sales girl or "barista" as they call them at Starbucks was completely baffled. What was this man trying to pull here? Eventually, however, she gave in and poured whatever was nearest in reach.
I laughed and gave the man a look of complete understanding. I was tempted to tell the barista, "I'll have what he's having," but I figured her world had already been turned upside down once that day and ordered a Pumpkin Spice Lattee just to make things easy for her.
As we prepare questions to ask during our interviews for RTN, I think two of the most important ones to me are going to be, "How did you choose this?" and "Did you ever look back?"
Until then, I'll be doing my best to avoid as many everyday decisions as possible so that I can one day channel all my efforts into something more important.
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2 comments:
I loved this post Lauren. I can definitely relate to how you're feeling. Even though it can be overwhelming at times to be in the position we're in (though a great one, really) it's so nice to be reminded that none of us are alone in how we're feeling...I mean, there's even a book about it! I am so excited to be heading out on this road trip where we'll hopefully get answers to some of the questions that haunt my mind every day.
P.S. Great Starbuck's photo! I also liked how you sited it's source... very professional!
Too many choices can seem overpowering but I think we're so fortunate to live in a time and society where there are so many options. Sometimes it seems best to remember that your options are still there, even if a choice turns out to be a wrong one. At 22 you all have plenty of time to try different careers - just go ahead and make your first choice. Good luck!
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