Are We Drowning In A Sea Of Choice?

How many decisions do we have to make daily?

Let's face it, our lives are a tad bit too luxurious if that is how you would describe the many choices we have. But is it really a luxury for us?

This weekend there were a lot of documentaries depicting live in the former DDR. One program was amazing because it showed a different slant on how we imagined life in an Eastern Bloc Country was.

Almost everyone interviewed, told of what a fabulous childhood they had. Yes, in hindsight it was restricted & restricting to live in a communist country, but when you were a child all you wanted was family time, friends and fun. Something they all had. When you don't have to chase the almighty Buck, you do have oodles of time to spend at leisure and with your family. As there wasn't much to buy, money lost much of its importance.

As for choices we face daily, here are a few. Sometimes it would be easier if we only had to choose between 3-4 instead of 30-40.

• What to wear/not what to wear...imagine if you only had two pairs of jeans, t-shirt, sweater. Yes, easy to get dressed.
• Most of us have a choice of several cereal boxes, bread, toast, eggs or porridge for breakfast.
• Some of you might have a Starbucks experience before work. Oh heck, who knew there were so many options of how to drink a cup of coffee!
• Buying deodorant, shampoo, soap is far from easy. All the containers look invitingly pleasant. After a while some of us might choose the prettiest looking one. Yes, a packaging that fits our bathroom colour scheme...
• Grocery shopping takes decision making to a whole new level. Each category has umpteen variations. Shouldn't a loaf of bread be just that and a tomato too. Why bamboozle us with all those time robbing decisions?
• Making supper each night. For some reason, the meal before your grocery shop is the easiest to make. Not much choice in your larder!
• As a teenager growing up in South-Africa the evening spent in front of the Telly were rather easy. Two channels and only one carried the series. All of us watched the same program and not much fighting over the remote ensued. Fast forward to now and how difficult is it too choose between 30 or in some cases 200 channels? Luckily for us we don't have an option to watch TV with an Internet stream - who knows who would have the remote.

It all sounds rather exhausting and let's face it, unnecessary. No, I am not advocating a return to state control, but a happy medium. Give us a choice but limit the options...

Biggi