Ann-Ah-Mee. That is how you pronounce the French word anomie.
Anomie is a condition which plagues any and all societies built upon the idea of self-determination. And yes, plagues is the right word. Stated differently, anomie is a condition common to western civilization, which is to say any nation built upon the core values of freedom and equality, with the quintessential example being the United States.
For our purposes, an acceptable definition of anomie is "A social condition defined by a breakdown of standards or guidance for individuals to follow." Think about it. It used to be people simply did what their parents did.
From time immemorial, as a general rule, women were homemaker and men worked in the same field as their fathers. And field is the right word because, as we know, a large percent of the population used to be farmers. Alternatively, if your father was a blacksmith you would be a blacksmith. If your father was a shoemaker you were a shoemaker. Furthermore, in the past people generally ascribed to the same moral foundation/religion as their parents. But, today everything has changed.
As we know, today's society is defined by near total mobility. You can live wherever you want, do whatever you want, marry whoever you want, worship whatever you want, etc. We live in a state of near total freedom which, at first glance, sounds pretty great. But, have you ever considered the reality that blessings and curses are often the exact same thing? Total freedom sounds liberating, and, to an extent, it is. However, it shouldn't take too much reflection to realize total freedom is an enormous responsibility.
The reason total freedom is an enormous responsibility is because it leads to something called the paradox of choice. If you aren't familiar with the word paradox, it simply means a true contradiction. Examples would be: never say never, the only constant is change, we fail our way to success, etc. Those statements are contradictions and yet they are true.
The reason total freedom is an enormous responsibility is because it leads to something called the paradox of choice. If you aren't familiar with the word paradox, it simply means a true contradiction. Examples would be: never say never, the only constant is change, we fail our way to success, etc. Those statements are contradictions and yet they are true.
At first glance, most of us would say the more choice we have the better. But it simply isn't true. Too much choice overwhelms us and causes harm in the form of confusion and doubt. That is the paradox of choice. Too much of a good thing becomes a bad thing. Obviously it is a contradiction to say that good things can be bad things, but it is also true. It is a paradox. Stated differently, it is easy to say "moderation in all things" but is much more difficult to do. Since I am a dyed in the wool food addict, let me give you two examples using food.
In 2006, Michael Pollan wrote a fun little book called The Omnivore's Dilemma. If you haven't read the book, let me give you the spoiler. Very simply, the omnivore's dilemma is when you can eat anything what to eat become an increasingly difficult decision. It is pretty well established that humans are omnivores, so we can eat almost anything. Thus, what to eat can be a hard question to answer. Have you ever found yourself tired of having to decide what is for dinner? That is because the doubt and confusion which accompanies the paradox of choice can become exhausting. The phrase most people these days are familiar with is "decision fatigue," and it is a very real thing.
More specifically, let me give you an example using the fruit spread most people call jam or jelly. Researchers arranged to handout samples of jelly at a grocery store and they setup two research conditions. For one period of time they offered twenty-four varieties of jelly, and for an equal but different period of time they offered six varieties of jelly. The question for you is, which do you think led to the sale of more jelly? In fact, when only six options were available 30% of people bought a jar versus only 3% of those exposed to twenty-four options. Six options is more manageable which led to many more people making the decision to buy. Twenty-four options is more overwhelming and led people to shelve the decision.
Freedom of choice is a great thing but it often leads to anomie, confusion and suffering. As I end for today, I will address an obvious question. Am I advocating for an artificial restriction on our freedom of choice? The answer, of course, is yes and no. LOL! Stick around and I will explain!
