We all desire ample choices in every sphere of life, simply on the premise that we know what is ‘best’ for us. But then how many of us were educated to evaluate choices. We were instead trained to do ‘best’ in what is available.
Born to parents who were too young – 21 years old was my father and 18 years was my mother- to know enough about parenting and the choices they had. Giving me birth as a first child may have been the default option, especially when my mother migrated from a remote village in Punjab to an industrial town like Jamshedpur. She was yet to come to terms to the this major change in her life. Forget about she even having second thoughts on being a parent within first year of marriage.
We all demand enough to choose one from. On finding a job post my MBA program my mentor remarked ( he no longer lives in this world), “Why do you judge your probability of success by number of interviews you face? It’s not like that. There is a job for you and when it comes, it would be the best one on offer.” He went on to say, “You can work for one Company at a time so how does choices help you?” I believe he was right.
We read about swayamvars being organised by Kings for their daughters where the probables attended the ceremony in hope of being garlanded as the chosen one. Why did we have this luxury of choice for females only? May be it points to the fact that if, at all it comes to handling choices, females are best at it.
A professor in engineering college when asked by students on he wearing same dress everyday to college replied, “It’s not that I have a single pair but then I do not want to waste time chosing what to wear in morning.”
So it’s better to be constrained rather than spoit for choices.