Choice is an illusion

Man wants to be free, to do as he wishes.

From my observation, man would prefer to die free than to be an immortal slave. He would also thrive in a society where he feels that decisions reflect his choice in matters, even if he were better off otherwise.

We pride ourselves on making decisions and living life on our terms. But is it possible that our cherished sense of freedom is nothing more than an illusion? 

Often, the pool we choose from is limited to the options available and in most instances these options are often controlled by external factors. The controls get more stringent based on the value that is placed on the thing being considered. For example, you may have more options for things like food and clothing, but that choice narrows as we consider housing, work and in electing public office holders. Let us discuss a few areas where the illusion of choice holds sway.

The Illusion of Consumer Choice

Choices of food are limited by what you know or what is available in your area as well as your purchasing power. When you walk into a supermarket to buy milk, the options on the shelf appear plentiful. But are they really? Manufacturers and retailers curate what you see, driven by profitability and market demand.

In many food categories, some monopolies ensure that only a limited range is available. In effect, your choice as a shopper is limited by what is put up for sale. Often, the options are limited to those that drive revenue for the manufacturer and the channel. For example, if the sugar-flavored version of a product sells better than the salt-flavored one, you are likely to find only the sugary option. Before long, other flavours may disappear entirely drastically limiting what you’d choose.

Fashion and Social Pressure

It is the same situation when you consider our choices of clothing and housing.  They are often dictated by what is available in the locality, trends, profitability as discussed earlier for food, and what the weather permits.

Take Eruchi, for example. She is building a huge mansion in her village, claiming it’s her dream home. When I queried her about optimal usage and maintenance issues, especially as she gets older and her children leave home, she admitted that the building size is not really what she would have preferred. She admitted that societal expectations drove her decision. She told me that she pandered to the desire of people around her who expect that a successful and rich professional like her should own a grand home. The irony of all this peer pressure is that no one actually spoke to her. She gradually absorbed that choice from the people she interacted with. Was it really her choice, or was it an illusion planted by societal expectations?

Technology: A Choice Shaped by Advertising

New technology launches provide another example of the illusion of choice. A lot of people I know are moving to the new phone brand that was just released. Is it because the product is genuinely superior to the models they currently have? Or is it the result of targeted advertising and social influence? This is often the reason why many struggle to justify their decision when asked about it. Like the typical Nigerian would say ‘You go explain taya, no evidence’. (Without ample evidence, explanation is futile).

Political Choices: A Rigged Game

In Politics, it is often the candidates presented by political parties that one gets to choose from. Often 2 or 3 strong candidates are on the ballot, options made possible by other people’s manipulations which often do not reflect your interests. When you check, you'll find out that they may have the same sponsor directly or a bit farther down the line. Many times the choice is between the devil and the deep salt sea. Ultimately, the options available to us are pre-selected by a system that prioritizes power and influence over genuine representation. In many instances, it does appear that the options available were chosen from the same pool.

The Underlying Forces Behind Our Choices

When we pride ourselves on being free and doing whatever we want, we may inadvertently be giving in to the slavery we claim to be resisting. Consider lifestyle choices, for example, sometimes this is determined by primordial desires, hormonal impulses, peer pressure and societal norms. In that case, are we truly in control, or are we slaves to forces we don’t even recognize? You need to check it very well.

Can True Freedom Exist?

The reality is that choices are always limited by external factors—what is readily available, what is fashionable, and what is deemed acceptable. Complete, unencumbered freedom may never exist. However, recognizing these limitations allows us to make more deliberate decisions that reflect choices that serve us the best.

Choose Your Slavery Wisely

The idea of making a choice or being free might indeed be an illusion, but it doesn’t mean that we are helpless and cannot exercise reasonable control. By understanding the forces shaping our options, we can strive to make choices that align with our values and long-term goals. If choice is an illusion, the question isn’t whether to choose but how to choose your "slavery" wisely. Always make sure that the choices you make will benefit you in the long run, and make the world a better place.