On choice and choices

The topic of the hour is choice. How do we know that the choices that we make are correct and equally importantly, what do we define as a correct choice.. Further still, is there always a choice that is correct or one that we are meant to pick above all the others..

I think a very loose guideline for making a correct choice but not necessarily, "the", correct choice is to choose the path that leads to the best possible outcome in the forseeable future. This loose statement however leaves much room for doubt as to whom the choice should be best for, whether for ourselves who make the choice, those around us whom we love, or the world in general. Ignoring the last two options for the sake of simplicity, we still are faced with the task of determining what outcomes are best for ourselves. Should our choices lead to happiness or riches or self improvement or any other results that we deem to be positive... At best, one choice leads simultaneously to those results which we deem to be important to ourselves. However, it is when these results are mutually exclusive or at least partially so, that we are faced with indecision, at least temporarily, as we consider and barter one aspect of our lives for another. A simple example would be studying for a test, where we sacrifice transient happiness for self improvement and perhaps, a modicum of self satisfaction. In this situation, it seems like the correct choice is obviously to sacrifice the transient happiness in lieu of the longer term benefits. This case exemplifies the futher consideration of time with regards to the choices we make. Surely we do not always make the choices that are most beneficial in the long term. If this were the case, those of us who are religious would be inclined to join the clergy. Where do we draw the line as to how far into the future we should plan and make sacrifices for... When do we decide that it would be wiser to cave in to hedonistic tendencies as opposed to other choices that might lead to better outcomes?

All the above considerations are usually made before we actually make the choice. Yet, after all this consideration and the choice has been made, we often still are unsure if we have made the right choice, if such a choice indeed exists. My personal method of dealing with this has been to find something meaningful to myself that has been derived from the choices that i have made that is significant enough to justify the choice. An example of this would be getting up early in the morning to watch a soccer game. If the soccer game goes well and one derives pleasure from it, then i believe that the choice can be justified. Yet, what if one gets up at 4 am and endures an unexpectedly unentertaining match.. Due to the seemingly relative insignificance of this choice, we are not too unsettled even though the choice no longer seems justifiable. It is however, more troubling when we face such situations with regards to decisions that directly and significantly affect our lives.

To complicate matters further, the level to which we can forsee the effect of our choices on our futures is rudimentary at best, even when considering the near future. An example of this, albeit a poor one, is when last night, i chose to watch a few episodes of , "the office", to tire myself out so that i would be able to go to sleep quickly. Although i became extremely tired, when i tried to go to sleep, i found myself feeling extremely hungry and had to go to mcdonalds to buy some food, depriving myself of sleep further than what might have resulted, had i chosen to forego, "the office", and instead just lie in bed until i fell asleep. By this example, i mean to show that even the small choices that we make can affect us in unexpected and unforeseeable ways, leading us to completely different sets of choices from those which we would otherwise be faced with, and that small effects resulting from seemingly insignificant choices can snowball into much much greater ones with the potential to produce profound effects on our lives.

Anyway, that's it from my philosopical self, and i can only hope that you are happy with your choice to read this entry.

cheers...

-Luke