Five-a-Day: Day 15: 19th of February 2023

We think we want more choice, but we don’t know what we’re asking for. We think choice equals freedom, and because we want freedom, we must want choice, and that therefore the more choice we have the freer and the happier we’ll be, but I doubt this premise. Choice can actually be oppressive. If we had perfect information about the options available to us and perfect knowledge of the outcome of each choice, then maybe ultimate choice would be a good thing. But even in this hypothetical scenario, choice doesn’t look great, because if we had absolute knowledge of the future, then everything would be so boring. The fact is that we don’t want to know what will happen tomorrow. Even though we often associate uncertainty with anxiety, actually, complete confidence is even more depressing. Not knowing what will happen tomorrow, or the day after, or the rest of our lives, is actually crucial to our happiness. And, in most cases, so is not being able to choose. Because the beautiful thing about not being able to choose, is that you can’t regret your decision. You can’t stew over whether you should have gone with A or B. Of course, jealousy will always be a factor, but jealousy is weaker than regret, because it’s easier to take a stoic view of circumstances that are out of your control. But regret, and the knowledge that you could so easily have made a better choice, that can be debilitating. So maybe we shouldn’t ask for more options, maybe we should ask for fewer, and focus on making the most of the situation. Being resourceful and thrifty out of the scant hand that you’ve been dealt is one of the most satisfying feelings. Making the best of a bad or mediocre situation, where the odds aren’t all in your favour and you’re not left wondering whether it was everything you wanted it to be, but rather accept it for what it is — that’s the sweet spot where happiness can be found.