Perdidos nos Labirintos das Escolhas: (In)Decisões nas Sociedades Contemporâneas

Abstract

Contemporary societies force individuals to make a growing number of choices in multiple areas of their existence, particularly in terms of consumption patterns or lifestyles. Decisions that in the past were strongly conditioned by external authorities, such as the State, the church, or the family, have now shifted to the individual sphere. This change in liquid societies, to use Zygmunt Bauman’s well-known expression, can be interpreted as an expansion of the sphere of human self-determination and freedom. However, as we will argue, based on studies in the field of psychology, the multiplication of choices and their concomitant decisions have led, in many circumstances, to anxiety and paralysis in the decision-making process, dissatisfaction with the options chosen, and even affect the individuals’ sense of ontological security. However, the way this negative impact is felt depends, at least in part, on aspects related to the psychological development of individuals, namely the experiences with parental figures at an early age. Furthermore, these experiences do not occur in a social vacuum. The specific contexts in which the most marginalized populations live are marked by higher levels of uncertainty, particularly in terms of employment and income. They play a relevant role in the increased difficulty in building psychological structures that help individuals deal successfully with the challenging tasks of contemporary social life, and especially with the choices they have to face.