The Architecture of Choice

A mouse choosing between two boiling pots to escape the labyrinth, overlooked by a monster.

A boy plays a game on his mobile and claims, "this is rigged". He finally jumps into the monster's eye and discovers there is always another choice.

There are two boiling pots, you are the mouse (player). The mouse should pick the right one so it can escape the labyrinth of suffering and enter a utopian zone. There is a ghost overlooking this whole fiasco and each time it echoes the same thing, " You have two choices. Pick the right pot and escape this hell. You only have one chance."

Every single time the mouse picks either of the two jars, it is asked to stay and dwell in hell because the other pot was precious.

This got me wondering- in real life, do we have the liberty of choice or only the illusion of liberty?

The choices available to us, related to work, identity are rarely neutral. They are often shaped by historical context, political incentives, economic priorities and cultural narratives.

Another documentary that I watched recently, stuck with me a conversation the actors were having, in the context of the economic history of women in workforce. One of the speaker pointed out that before the min-19th century, governments could only draw taxes from half the population. Now, remember this was the era post war torn economy. They need to rebuild infra. Encouraging women to enter paid labor force, while magnanimous and noble on the outside, it eventually effectively, doubled the taxable and employable citizen base. More GDP for the government.

It was framed publicly as progress, empowerment and moral advancement. This was also a strategic economic expansion.

However, now we are back to advertising the "traditional woman" narrative. When society feels uncertain or threatened, because some groups tries to restore an older order or otherwise, today some political movements push for a stay-at-home, obedient, god fearing and family first woman as ideal.

It is not about women. My mind is synthesizing the idea of control, and identity. Why are women bestowed with two choices? Who framed these choices? Who benefits with women working or staying?

I understand to a large extent the necessity to fall in line. If there is a third choice, and everybody could make one, then there is no order. It's purely chaotic. There would be lawlessness. I mean how are we to then establish who can make that third choice and who cannot. Because, history says not everyone can make the third best choice and not have unbearable consequences.

Man, the way the society is structured is really messed up!!!