I have been studying the evolving societal influences on decision making over the past several years. Some of these forces have people yelling “big brother.” Others spend their lives seeking entertainment and convenience. Three decades ago, Dr. Neil Postman explained this tension in his seminal book, Amusing Ourselves to Death. Rather than my interpreting his work, I’ll let it speak for itself.
“. . . alongside (George) Orwell’s dark vision in 1984, there was another—slightly older, slightly less well known, equally chilling: Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World. Contrary to common belief even among the educated, Huxley and Orwell did not prophesy the same thing. Orwell warns that we will become overwhelmed by externally imposed oppression. But in Huxley’s vision, no big Brother is required to deprive people of their autonomy, maturity, and history. As he saw it, people will come to love their oppression, to adore the technologies that undo their capacities to think.”
Consider your daily decision making. How much of it is influenced, dare I say controlled, by central authorities? How much of it is influenced by your human nature to take the easy way out, even though you know the more difficult way is the better way? Life is a continuous series of daily choices. Smart decision makers have found ways to balance these tensions. How about you?