“How To Make Hard Choices” by Ruth Chang ‘Conversation 5’

Response to question #3

For Chang, “Hard choices are hard not because of us or our ignorance; they’re hard because there is no best option” (2). What does she mean? Why does a “best” option make the choice easier?

Hard choices are hard because there is never a sufficiently good option which is why hard choices are important. The choice is something we must decide, life choices. And you must create a value of things for yourself by committing. There are some tips to help you make the right decisions, look beyond the moment, evaluate a ‘head choice’ and a ‘heart choice’, respect the effect and influence of others, go with what you know also consider if you could survive if disappointed because of your choice. There is a coincidence between choices, control, and survival. Our survival instincts tell us that we will survive if we have control. So, it is our powerful subconscious that keeps us seeking control, and the desire for control keeps us seeking choices. Choices have consequences, you get to make decisions, but you do not get to choose outcomes. The decisions we take every day impact our lives in one way or another and determine how our lives will look. Our choices really matter. It is an important part of our self-development. Each one of the choices that you make shapes your experience and brings you to where you are in your life. According to Ruth Chang, “Hard choices are hard not because of us or our ignorance; they’re hard because there is no best option.” The author means, when you face hard choices you need to look inside yourself, what you feel, and what you think will be better for you, which decision will have the best consequences.

What is the best option? In my opinion, sometimes the best option is the safest choice. In hard choices, we tend to prefer the safest option. If you do not see anything good enough from all options you have, choose which gives you less stress, and better emotional self-feeling.  Sometimes there is no easy choice, but you must choose from all the difficult choices, the option which is better for you. In difficult choices, it is hard, one side always seems to be better than the other, anyway. Some people prefer to choose a less risky side because there is no better option. Chang states, “Even taking two alternatives side by side with full information, a choice can still be hard”. Sometimes there is no best alternative, and we must deal with what it is, and it will teach us something new, maybe we will end up like a better person. Hard choices are hard because we know it directly affects our lives in so many ways, emotionally, financially, and physically. But I think, if you know what you need, you respect your core values and you are in search of the meaningful things in life – the hard choices you make will benefit you in the long run. People believe that hard choices are good because are stressful and gain something new. In stressful situations, we are under a new perspective, open our minds, and learn something new. Hard choices must be hard because they give us the power to create reasons to live the life we want and create our destiny.