History Main / FreedomFromChoice

* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bqMY82xzWo This superb video]], a lecture given by Professor Renata Salecl (marvelously illustrated/animated by an unnamed artist) describing [[NotUsedToFreedom how daunting freedom can be]] for people who were raised in a state that used to make most of their decisions for them or provided them very few choices (she grew up in UsefulNotes/{{Yugoslavia}}).

* According to Tabitha in VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas, the Super Mutants long for this situation, given her main selling point for "Utobitha" is to not have to think for yourself. Granted, these are ''VideoGame/Fallout3'' style Super Mutants she's talking about, who [[DumbMuscle aren't too good at that sort of thing]]. The more intelligent ''[[VideoGame/{{Fallout}} Fallout 1]]'' and ''[[VideoGame/Fallout2 2]'' style Super Mutants live in places with a bit more freedom.

* According to Tabitha in VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas, the super mutants long for this situation, given her advertisement for "Utobitha" is to not have to think for yourself.

In our modern society, people are supposed to have "freedom of choice" and be happy about it. Ironically, however, this sometimes make people feel anxious, uncertain and trapped in being forced to make choices. This makes them resent the constant choice-making, sometimes even giving it up if given an excuse: RealLife can feel like a QuicksandBox. May or may not lead the character to become PropertyOfLove, or even enjoy HappinessInSlavery, finding someone else to run their life for them. Somolarly, some persons too much used to have restriction might be NotUsedToFreedom.

* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bqMY82xzWo This superb video]], a lecture given by Professor Renata Salecl (marvelously illustrated/animated by an unnamed artist) describing [[NotUsedToFreedom how daunting freedom can be]] for people who were raised in a state that used to make most of their decisions for them or provided them very few choices (she grew up in UsefulNotes/Yugoslavia).

In our modern society, people are supposed to have "freedom of choice" and be happy about it. Ironically, however, this sometimes make people feel anxious, uncertain and trapped in being forced to make choices. This makes them resent the constant choice-making, sometimes even giving it up if given an excuse: RealLife can feel like a QuicksandBox. May or may not lead the character to become PropertyOfLove, or even enjoy HappinessInSlavery, finding someone else to run their life for them.

* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bqMY82xzWo This superb video]], a lecture given by Professor Renata Salecl (marvelously illustrated/animated by an unnamed artist) describing how daunting freedom can be for people who were raised in a state that used to make most of their decisions for them or provided them very few choices (she grew up in Yugoslavia).

** In general, when designing any open-ended project, just putting in guidelines, even though there are still no rules, makes there seem like there is structure. Compare the classroom version of this "Submit an art portfolio of your choice of paintings by the end of semester" versus "Submit an art portfolio of at least 15 paintings by the end of semester. Choose at least three mediums (water-color, oil pastel, and colored pencil for instance)." If a painter wants to do more than 15 paintings, sure. If they want to do just one painting of each medium and the rest are all water-color, the teacher doesn't actually care. But the artist has now been given enough of a direction, that they can actually make the decision.

* According to Wikipedia's article on "Freedom of Choice", a social experiment determined that there's kind of a "sweet spot" when it comes to freedom and the ability to make choices. While in general, the ability to make choices (and to make choices that lead to more choices) is considered a good thing, having an abundance of choice requires both a thorough understanding of the choices and potential consequences and the ability to cope with consequences. People who lack either of those may find themselves happier within ''this'' trope, where decisions are made ''for'' them.
** Related is the concept of [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overchoice overchoice]], first introduced by Alvin Toffler in 1970 - while most consumers would prefer having several choices over only being given one option for a given product, give them too many options and their overall happiness with their choice starts going down again. There is an experiment involved a supermarket issuing coupons for jam. The same supermarket, the same price, the same days of the week; the only difference was the number of different flavors of jam for sale on the shelf - one week had 3 flavors, another week had 24. Total sales of jam were significantly lower the week there were 24 flavors on the shelf because trying to determine the best choice out of 24 options was much more mentally tiresome for shoppers than picking the best out of 3 options, and those shoppers just ended up not buying any jam at all.

* In [[UsefulNotes/{{Mormonism}} LDS theology]] this is was a large part of what got Satan kicked out of heaven. The purpose of mortality is to come to Earth in order to make choices for ourselves, with the risk that we might make wrong choices and not return to live with God. Satan and his followers were kicked out because Satan's plan was to remove free will and force everyone to make the right choices. This would mean, in theory, that everyone would be able to return with God. All he wanted in return was to be placed above God. Then they started a war when they didn't get their way.

* Lightnovel/BeingAbleToEditSkillsInAnotherWorldIGainedOpWaifus has a slave harem that's perfectly happy to have their "husband" make all the decisions. When they were free agents, their lives were crap. With him in charge, they're happy and basically live in luxury.

[[folder:Fan Works]]
* In ''Fanfic/NukumeDori'', this is one of the more interesting parts of [[Manga/TokyoBabylon Subaru and Seishirou]]'s budding relationship dynamic. Seishirou is regularly shown as being the one who chooses many of their activities, including where they go on their “dates” down to deciding what Subaru eats and drinks by ordering for him when they go out. Interestingly enough the only time this chafes on Subaru is when he and Seishirou are fighting over whether or not he should [[spoiler:save Matsumoto’s life.]] Subaru seems to draw a firm distinction in his mind between Seishirou taking care of him as part of their relationship, and the Sakurazukamori using this as a tool to be condescending and belittle his choices.
[[/folder]]

->''"Do not be a clockwork orange,
->Freedom has a lovely voice.
->Here is good, and there is evil,
->Look on both, then make your choice.
->Sweet in juice and hue and aroma,
->Let's not be changed to fruit machines.
->Choice is free but seldom easy,
->That's what human freedom means."''

->"Do not be a clockwork orange,

->That's what human freedom means."

* In ''Anime/{{Simoun}}'', choice (specifically represented by the [[GenderBender gender choice]], but encapsulating other things as well) is the source of most of the main characters' internal conflict throughout the story--that not related to the HopelessWar, at least. The ''availability'' of choice is a good thing, but actually ''engaging'' in either/or decision-making erases other possibilities and hence, paradoxically, stunts potential, particularly spiritual potential. Characters sometimes attempt to go the traditional FreedomFromChoice route and submit to military, political, or social marching orders, but the only actual freedom lies in a particular kind of simultaneously static and "wavering" mindset.

* In the movie "Mixed Nuts" Steve Martin tries calling a newspaper:

* ''ComicBook/NemesisTheWarlock'': After Torquemada has come BackFromTheDead due to time travel, he finds that Termight has become a peaceful, freedom-loving society in his absence instead of the tyrannical, dystopian nightmare that it was under his rule. This trope comes into play when Torquemada tries to convince his former followers to reinstate him as Grand Master. His friendlier successor Mazarin tries to rebuff him, but finds that his minions have all sided with Torquemada.

* The film and book "91/2 Weeks" presents an erotic variation on Freedom From Choice: a career-woman who is successful and forceful in her professional life forfeits her sexual freedom to a man, and their relationship pushes the boundaries between what is "SafeSaneAndConsensual" and what is abusive.

* ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'': The angels tend to default to subservience and are confused by the concept of free will, since they were designed to be obedient soldiers in God's army. God left first, but Michael picked up the slack for millennia. Then after the archangels are locked up or killed, Heaven falls into chaos. In season 13, Lucifer suggests that the few remaining angels make him Viceroy of Heaven since they need a leader. [[spoiler:They quickly oblige.]]

* {{Shameless}} had this in series 4, when Frank was in the pub, trying to decide between his current lover Sheila, and his technically still wife Monica, because they both wanted him to decide which one he wanted to be with. He couldn't decide between them, so he elected to choose ''not to choose'. [[spoiler:In the end, he chose Sheila, but when she found out he was still legally married to Monica, which she didn't know before, she left him anyway, so Frank went to Monica instead, implying he had dumped Sheila and that Monica was the first choice.]]

"In New York freedom looks like / Too many choices"