In the book “The Giver” By Lois Lowry we explore a world without color, emotion, or freedom.
As I read this book for the second time a particular passage stuck out to me:
“It isn’t fair that nothing has color!
Not fair? The Giver looked at Jonas curiously. “Explain what you mean.”
If everything’s the same, then there aren’t any choices! I want to wake up in the morning and decide things! A blue tunic, or a red one?”
…
You might make the wrong choices.
We don’t dare let people make choices of their own.
“Not safe?” The Giver suggested.
Definitely not safe,” Jonas said with certainty.
…
Once he had yearned for choice. Then, when he had had a choice, he had made the wrong one: the choice to leave.
And now he was starving.
But if he had stayed…he would have starved in other ways. He would have lived a life hungry for feelings, for color, for love.”
This presents an interesting consideration.
Freedom, the autonomy to choose presents potential risk.
I would argue that choice is essential to the human experience of learning and growing.
Sometimes I believe we forget that, and confine ourselves to a mindset that says we don’t have a choice.
Not to the extreme of the world illustrated above but say for example you leave the gym and drop your phone.
The screen shatters.
You may react with anger and frustration.
Subconsciously believing I have no choice but to be upset.
But in reality you do!
You’re just choosing the option that’s going to make you sad the rest of the day.
Elizabeth Beeli 