A500.4.3.RB – Ballet Slippers or Adorable?
The Art of Choice
What a great eye-opening video “The art of choice.” After
watching Dr. Lyengar talk about what Americans think about choice, it has open
my mind beyond words can explain. One way or another, I had this conversation
with my husband a couple of times before, without any background to support our
ideas, we always leaned over to the idea of having less choices. It is
interesting to find valuable resources of information. I agree with Dr. Lyengar’s
studies on how Americans advertise our freedom of choice with a good example,
“Have it your way” a slogan used by Burger king. It is fascinating how a country
believes having this many choices is the best choice. “They think that choice,
as seen through the American lens best fulfills an innate and universal desire
for choice in all humans” (Lyengar, 2010).
My position
about her assumptions on Americans making choices is supportive. As Dr. Lyengar
goes on to explain, our assumptions are created or “shaped by our backgrounds.”
When compared to other countries it is fairly easy to identify how culture
changes the perspective of what “choice” means to each one of us. She started
by pointing out that Americans assume that we all need to make our own choices.
In other words, if the outcome of that decision or choice in this case will
affect in anyway our life, then we have the right to make that choice in our
own. This assumption tides up with the third assumption, “never say no to
choice,” as the example she uses contributes to both ideas. Dr. Lyengar
provided a great example of a family who had a baby “ Barbara” who
unfortunately when born at 7 months had complications and suffered from cerebral
anoxia, a loss of oxygen to the brain. When the parents were ask if they wanted
to keep the baby alive for a couple of days under life support or removed it
and have the baby died within hours, although they confirmed the
decision/choice was the hardest thing to do, they were glad to have the choice
themselves. In contrast to other countries such as France, a doctor would have
made the choice for them. For some other cultures, having the opportunity to
share a choice with someone else is a “way to have a community” (Lyengar,
2010). According to Dr. Lyengar:
The assumption then that we do
best when the individual self chooses only holds when that self is clearly
divided from others. When, in contrast, two or more individuals see their
choices and their outcomes as intimately connected, then they may amplify one
another's success by turning choosing into a collective act. To insist that
they choose independently might actually compromise both their performance and
their relationships. Yet that is exactly what the American paradigm demands. It
leaves little room for interdependence or an acknowledgment of individual
fallibility. It requires that everyone treat choice as a private and
self-defining act. People that have grown up in such a paradigm might find it
motivating, but it is a mistake to assume that everyone thrives under the
pressure of choosing alone. (2012).
The second
assumption she talks about is “More options leads to better choices.” Having
many option is not always a good thing as many residents of formerly communist
countries link the term choice with fear, conflict, or pressure. For some
people, the word choice is not an option and having too many choices in one
time may be overwhelming. Americans are used to massive consumption of
everything, as Dr. Lyengar illustrates, “Walmart, with 100,000 different
products, and Amazon, with 27 million books and Match.com with -- what is it?
-- 15 million date possibilities now. You will surely find the perfect match”
(2012). Of course, she takes this ironically since not everyone has the
opportunity to choose from thousands of options.
The
implications of Dr. Lyengar’s comments and beliefs of our (Americans)
assumptions towards leadership are very useful. Leadership is based on making
choices, specifically making the right choices. Most times, the challenge of
being a leader comes with having too many options. Often, too many options make
leaders susceptible or prone to errors. Knowing “when and how to act,” has a
fuller potential of choice. Additionally, been able to walk away from a choice
is not always a bad decision, instead; it shows character.
To conclude
her conference, Dr. Lyengar was asked how she handle been blind and making
choices. She went over and explained one of her experiences as she was at a
salon trying to get her nails done. She wanted to paint them a light pink and
she was given two options of pink, ballet slippers or adorable. When she asked
to be help and explained the difference between one and the other, the ladies
advised her but did not provide good enough information for her to make a
choice. Dr. Lyengar decided to test her analysis by removing the labels, and
having people make a choice. More than 50 percent of them were surprise because
they thought both colors looked the same. With that in mind, it is easy to
conclude that most of our choices are sometimes based on visual inputs and not
actually self-choice. So even when we think we have the freedom to make a
choice, one way or another, some how, we are manipulated to make that choice.
Lyengar, S. (2010). The Art of Choosing.
TEDGlobal. Retrieved from http://www.ted.com/talks/sheena_iyengar_on_the_art_of_choosing/transcript?language=en
No comments:
Post a Comment