A500.4.3.RB – Ballet Slippers or Adorable?

11 November 2015

Richard Martinez

MSLD 500

                I found the TED video by Dr. Sheena Lyengar on the art of choosing to be very interesting and eye opening for me. In this video Dr. Lyengar discusses three assumptions that Americans believe when it comes to making choices. The three assumptions referenced are make your own choices, more options leads to better choices, and never say no to choice.

                In the first assumption Dr. Lyengar assumes that Americans believe in the ability to make your own choices. I would have to agree with this statement. In her example in the video the American children the American children did better when they were able to choose where as the Asian children did much better when someone choose for them. American children are taught at a young age to be make choices on their own. I believe there is less influence from our parents and elders when it comes to making choices. Asian children made choices that were influenced by their parents or elders. Dr. Lyengar stated that the American children treated choice as a private and self-defining act where the Asian children did it for the collective and to impress self and others. It is a mistake for us as Americans to believe that everyone thinks like we do.

                In the second assumption, it is assumed that Americans believe that more options leads to better choices. I can directly relate to the example that Dr. Lyengar gives in the video. Having lived in Europe for some 14 years while I served in the U.S. Army. Her example was how Americans and Europeans look at multiple choices (seven cans of soda). We as Americans would see this as seven choices and that we could have the pick of the litter of sodas. However the Europeans see it as just one choice and that choice is soda. Europeans see all the different brands of soda as one choice. When living in Europe and went to a restaurant you would ask for a coke and you would usually get whatever they had and it would be just one soda flavor Coke or Pepsi. In the U.S. we would get 10 different flavors of Coke, diet Coke, caffeine free Coke and so on. Having to many choices can become to consuming and overwhelming. Having to many choices in life can also lead to having poorer choices.

                Never say no to choice is the third assumption given by DR. Lyengar. In her example in the video Dr. Lyengar asked would you prefer to make the choice to end someone’s life or would you prefer the doctor make the choice. Americans choose to make the choice even though a year later we would still be negative about it. The French preferred that the doctor make the choice and they were not as negative about it a year later. Knowing this the Americans were asked again would they make the same choice and they said yes. I strongly feel that we as Americans given the abundance of choices look at them as control over things in our life and we are not will to part with that control.

                I do agree with Dr. Lyengar. I feel that we are taught at a very young age to be individuals and faced with an overabundance of choices early on in our life. This can lead us to make poorer choices in everything we do including leadership. We have to have balance in our decision making.