But we are not free.
And choice can feel like a chain around the neck, tying us to the ground instead of letting us climb the ladder that we are all supposed to be striving for.
It is almost irrelevant that someone invented that ladder. I mean, what is it?
It is a social construct. An imagined path to better ourselves financially and, presumably put us into a "better" class. It is a cruel invention of capitalists and commercialism to keep us consuming in order to increase growth/profits to the already wealthy, and to keep the taxes being paid.
It is a construct that keeps us stuck in this artificial lifestyle that few actually admit to liking.
And it gives us choice. Too much choice. And that is a burden.
Take for example the very simple act that is buying a bag. There are literally hundreds of thousands of bags to choose from. You can narrow your choice to style and cost, materials if it's important to you, and colour. But you will still come up with so many. So then you have to look at reviews. What do other people say about the product? Will it survive long term (you're reading the words of a writer who has kept a hiking backpack for 20 years, so rest assured I'm looking for a bag that will survive). In the end, I went for army surplus bags because I figured they were designed to survive a rough environment. It made the process of choosing easier, you see.
A bag is just a small choice to make. What about how we make a living (how do we know we've made the right choice? That we're doing the right thing). We can do anything we want to but it involves making a conscious choice.
I struggle every day with my business because of the choices I have to make. Honestly? I would rather be living off the land in some far off forest away from all technology (yes, I know, I am writing this on a blog and not in a weathered, leather bound notebook. I can see the irony, thank you) than decide what area of photography I am going to specialise in...
If we weren't all so focused on making more and more money, maybe no one would have to be a specialist whatever, and we could all be content doing whatever came up.
And what has all this choice and "growth" done for the planet? Nothing good, that's for sure.
There has to be a better way, surely.
In the meantime, this writer will be making choices as limited as possible.
