Tuesday, March 20, 2012

AOC: Limiting Choices

Haley Scholar Reading Groups 

By Danielle Hall

In the second part of chapter 7 of The Art of Choosing, Sheena Iyengar discusses the ways in which decisions made out of "suspicion or fear" may cause more damage in the long run (237). Put differently, some of the worst or least informed decisions happen when one must confront unattractive choices. Avoiding complex choices is usually what leads one to being "caught between a rock and a hard place." Iyengar warns that ignoring unattractive choices, or choosing not to choose, is problematic and potentially harmful.

Something of note is how the concept of restrictive choice, which we discussed previously in chapter 6, resurfaces again throughout this chapter. Again, Iyengar urges readers to consider the benefits of letting go and reminds us that there are other options available to us that can help alleviate the pressures of choosing and yield positive outcomes (240 & 254-55).

What is one way that you have benefited -- personally or academically -- by letting go (or as Iyengar says "limiting ourselves") that somehow led to new or better possibilities and outcomes in your field of study?

11 comments:

Rohan Genge said...

Limiting benefits has the same benefits as spcilization. When you choose as area to study like liberal arts then narrow it down to one subject, like I did with political science, you can gain an expertise quickly. Paired with the expertise others bring you can go further than trying to learn it all on your own.

Shakita Hurt said...

I have friends who choose to participate in activities that I cannot because of my major. I am in nursing and it requires a great deal of studying and I have to seriously focus.I chose to let go of friends who were not headed in the same direction as me. Those who were negative and lived their lives under the influence and did not have a goal in life. And because I chose to let go of these people, I was able to focused more and succeed in my major in becoming a nurse.

Ralicia Goble-Hawkins said...

I personally had to limit myself by letting go of taking Spanish courses. I had taken them since the 6th grade and I absolutely loved the language. It seemed that I had a special talent, as if the language came naturally to me. Once I reached college, I looked at my required courses and realized that if I took the Spanish courses, it would not only increase my tuition, but it would also prolong the time before I would graduate. So I let my love of Spanish go. Now I'm doing well. I'm about to be accepted in the Education Program and will be graduating on time if all continues to go well.

Jennifer Johnson said...

In my field of study,[psychology]it is usual for a major to go on to grad school, get a doctorate degree, and counsel patients or for a major to just simply get a bachelors degree and have a random career. I made the decision to be different and minor in Asian studies so that i could use both of my degrees to work with Asian immigrants in dealing with culture shock and assimilation

Alexia said...

I'm usually very structured and organized and I always have to have a plan. While a friend of mine was studying abroad in New Zealand, she jokingly invited me to stay with her. I decided to let go of any inhibitions and just go for it. The next day I booked a flight to the other side of the world. I was so worried about finances and what we were going to do that I almost didn't get my ticket, but I'm glad I did and I can't wait to go back.

Sherrie Jayne said...

I had the decision to either stay on my general medicine floor or get a job in the cardiothoracic ICU at Barnes as a student nurse technician. I have never had ICU experience so I didn't know if I would regret this decision when graduation came around, also the fact that whatever experience I would get as a new grad would affect whatever grad program I wanted to get into. And whatever floor you're a tech on, you're likely to get hired there. Little did I know after working on the floor, then having clinicals in an ICU, I realized critical care was my calling and never want to go back to anything else! It also helps that I have a decent chance at getting a new grad position when I graduate, who knows where all this will lead me!

Natalia Habibi said...

My entire life was dedicated to swimming since the time I was 10 years old. I had received scholarships for swimming from various universities, yet chose to attend SIUE for its biology and pre-dental program. It was very hard to let go of something that had become my entire life. Nevertheless, 3 years later and I have gotten accepted into dental school and accomplished everything I set out to do. My goals would not have been possible had I kept my focus on swimming instead of school. Now all I have left is to survive dental school before I'm out into the real world practicing!

William Roa-Schmitt said...

Last summer I took a new position at the company I was a part of at the time. Since it was Summer, I was able to work full-time. My boss was pleased with my performance so he asked if I would give night classes and full-time work a try during the fall. I learned that this was simply too much on my plate. Therefore, I was forced to personally limit myself to finding a different part-time job in order to focus on my academics. So far, the decision has been very beneficial.

Ashley Jeffers said...

I've played softball all my life; I caught over 1000 games in my career, participating in leagues all four seasons of the year, and got offered scholarships from ten collegiate teams in surrounding states and Illinois. Softball has always been my passion, but so has school. In high school, it was easy to play Varsity sports all year long and still be valedictorian of my class. However, when it came to sign with a college for softball, I got to thinking about how much time it would take out of my school work. Aspiring to be an Optometrist, I made the extremely hard decision of letting go by declining all my softball offers. In the long run, I know that giving up those opportunities was what was best; I apply for Op School in the summer :)

Jessica Hickman said...

I personally had to limit myself by understanding that my academic life is much more important than making wrong decisions in my personal life. With the nursing major, I understand that I can not participate in the same activities that some of my peers do. I have to be focused and realize that positivity is needed instead of negative circumstances.

Jasmine said...

I usually have to choose to sacrifice a lot of social things due to the fact that I am a double major. Sometimes it is very tempting to go do things with my friends but I just convince myself to not participate and that in the end it will all pay off.