Tamikio L. Dooley

Historical Tradition by Tamikio L. Dooley

How does making choices fit into historical tradition?

History? Tradition? Define Choice (Choism)?

To what extent do our choices shape our identity?

Our choices and decisions define us, both individually and collectively, within the limits of the freedom we possess at home, work, school, and beyond.

 What signifies choices in society? A crucial part of life is deciding, and it’s important to make the right ones. The decisions we make shaped our identity, which can have either positive or negative effects on our lives.

The choices that humans make, numbering in the thousands or even millions, have both personal and societal consequences.

Sheena Iyengar believes that choice is the key to transforming ourselves from who we are today to who we want to be tomorrow, as stated in her book “The Art of Choosing,” which reflects her fifteen years of research on the topic.

Iyengar analyzes how we make significant life choices, such as picking a partner, and insignificant ones, such as selecting a candy bar or soda.

The Art of Choosing' author, Sheena Iyengar, she believes that choice empowers us to take action. Universal values of freedom, love, and control influenced our decision making, as per her beliefs.

The statement, “enslave me,” would never be uttered by a human being. “Our upbringing instills in us the ability to think about and make choices.”

While the Desire to choose is Universal, Cultural Influences affect our Choices

Iyengar’s point shows a psychology experiment she conducted in 1995 with American and Japanese college students.

When the American students were asked which concepts they associated with the word “choice,” they cited terms like independence.

‘The Art of Choosing’ argues that the desire to choose is universal, but cultural differences affect how we choose.

Iyengar reports the Japanese and Chinese connect responsibility, burden, and anxiety to the matter at hand. Choice, for them, is a task that demands much effort and has numerous potential consequences.

In other words, people from Asian cultures prioritize the impact of their choices on others. In the West, personal desires hold more significance.

Iyengar, who grew up in a traditional Sikh-American household while attending American schools, learned to navigate these differences at a young age.

She says that they had two completely different ways of thinking. “There was a conflict about which one to prioritize in different contexts.”

The author, who grew up in a traditional Sikh-American household, opted for a love marriage in the American style, departing from the arranged marriage preferred by her parents.

Iyengar opted for a “love marriage” instead of an arranged one like her parents in her personal life. They are teaching their five-year-old to balance his preferences with respect for his elders’ opinions. Her new book's title reflects this balance.

Iyengar defines the art of choosing as accepting our limitations while taking advantage of possibilities.

The Process of Choosing can be Complex

The process of making a choice is complex. Psychologists, anthropologists, economists, political scientists and other experts have all given their take on how it works, and here’s one reason. Iyengar asserts that choice is an intricate matter that demands both time and effort to handle.

“You have to consult your gut, which tells you how you feel. Then you have to engage your reasoned analysis, which tells you all those pros and cons. It also pays to consult others, to get more information and to compensate for your own biases. Only then can you really make a quote, ‘informed choice.’”

Global suffering can arise from ill-informed decisions. As an illustration, Iyengar refers to the global financial crisis. She believed that corporations who sold unaffordable home mortgages and people who bought homes beyond their means were responsible for the crisis.

Short-term self interest was given priority over long-term consequences by both groups following an economic model.

“But why can’t people be taught about how to think about self interest in a more long-term way?” Iyengar asks. “If we think more carefully about this tool called ‘choice,’ we can actually improve our lives both as individuals as well as a society.”

 The choices we make throughout our lives every day is more than tradition. It affects the outcome at the end of the day.