CHOICES

 These days we are observing the disappearing provisional stores on the corners of our locality, where we had to ask for each product we wanted, one by one and sometimes had to buy whatever is available due to lack of alternatives. Rarely any of us would be going for shopping to traditional garment shops where they show us limited number of clothes that too one by one, and after sometime would simply refuse to show more if they guessed your unwillingness to buy nothing. In both cases we have moved to online stores or to big marts or shopping malls where we get to choose out of so many things without anyone expressing displeasure. We are at liberty to run through hundreds and even thousands of products yet are free not to buy anything. 

If you are wondering why there is such a rapid trivialisation of online shopping plateforms or of mega marts. The reason is fairly simple and obvious and that is choice. They offer us to choose what we want. Isn't it human nature to demand more and more options in our life despite the fact that eventually we have to choose only one of all that we are offered. 

When we talk about choice, it is omnipresent in all walks of life. Starting from childhood with the choice of toys to adolescence where we choose our passion and direction of education. And then in our adulthood when we fall in love with person of our choice, yes undoubtedly it should be mutual. I consider it almost a privilege to be someone's first choice everywhere all the time. We choose the place we want to visit, the food we want to eat, the clothes we want to wear, the car we want to drive and so on. The more choices we get, the more happier we are and I guess no one can contest that argument practically.

So, the pertinent question arises that if choice is so trivial things then is it available to all in same proportion. The answer is certainly a big no. You see choices are not natural rights that one can claim as a matter of entitlement. These are rather created through one's competence, capacity and courage. Today, it won't be exaggeration to say that abundance or scarcity of choices has become in a way a litmus test of one's prosperity and resource capability. And this resource - choice relationship is mutually dependent because it is not if that only resources create choices , sometimes it is the other way around, when people with more choices create more resources. And large business conglomerates are testament to it. Such is this resource - choice relationship that there are those who are in dilemma due to abundance of choices and then there are those in dilemma due to lack of it.

By now it may have started to feel like choices are bad things which perpetuate disparity and make stronger more strong and weaker more week. But that is not the case because choices are also born out of courage and competence and not just resource abundance. Had Elon Musk chosen not to spend his earnings from PayPal on his rocket dreams, he could have still been rich but he could never had become Elon Musk neither the world would have seen SpaceX. Had MS Dhoni not chosen to prioritise his cricket over his studies, well who knows, whether we would have had any more World Cup trophies after 1983. 

So, are there only positives about choices. I would say, pretty much, until you talk about the extremes. You see when it comes to choices, both extremes are harmful and dangerous. If you have too many choices, it spoils you. Like if you are loved by too many people, well, then you know that none of them will ever completely trust you because they will always be suspicious of you. Similarly if you have just one choice then you are highly likely to get hurt by it, be it with respect to people or other aspects like passion, profession etc. It is because I feel that one choice is no choice, as people starts to take you for granted if they know how much valuable they are to you. So, the solution lies in the middle path as golden mean is the golden rule of life. In life make sure that you don't put all your eggs in one basket. If you are a choice for someone, make sure that they too are a choice for you. Choices doesn't just give you confidence but also bargaining power and leverage which are must for self respect and self interest.

In my domain that is UPSC, the most commonly asked question, especially by non-UPSC people and family is that "if not this then what". It sounds quite disheartening to hear, as it appears to be reflecting a lack of trust in you. It is also said that plan B never let's you focus on plan A and based on my experience I would say it is absolutely true. But I would also add that not everyone is privileged to focus only on plan A. Having backup plan or alternate choice is not pessimism rather pragmatism. It doesn't reflect lack of trust rather an expression of care and support and desire to cushion you from shock of failure which is as common in UPSC as flying cars in a Rohit Shetty's movie. 

To conclude I would say what happens with you is your destiny but how you react to it is your choice. You may not be able to shape your destiny completely but you are certainly able and capable of choosing to react appropriately and desirably to it.