Friday, May 07, 2004

Did the Romans suffer too much choice in the final days of their empire?

I find the existence of the book, The Paradox of Choice: Why More Is Less, both very telling and slightly worrying. I suppose I shouldn't find it worrying as it's pretty obvious life is just too good to too many people in the West.

I haven't read the book, so it's not really fair of me to criticise it and I won't. I will, however, consider the principle that, according to marketing blurb and reviews, forms the basis of this book's argument. I can understand that having too much choice is a problem for many people but this is yet another example of a culture in which nobody really has to face the facts of normal life nor has to accept responsibility for their own lives. Who would have thought that being selfish and ignorant could have caused anyone to be unhappy?

I've long felt we're several generations past the point that the people of the West could probably learn a thing or two from being at the heart of another big war. This book merely reinforces that impression. What a sad state of affairs that is.

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