Globalization and Choices

       While making different decisions in life, it is common that we are deciding between two different things. Should I rob the bank or not, should I eat fast food or go get something healthy. Whatever the decision is we tent to think in a two dimensions instead of trying to look at every aspect of the decisions we are making. Often at times I am even guilty at making the same mistakes. Looking back on certain decisions wishing I could have thought about more alternative routs than the two I was faced with at the time.

       The same case can be made when thinking of societies views of globalization. The common theme around the world seems to be get on the train or get left behind. We push our western attitude and technology into different communities almost giving the an ultimatum in joining the rest of the world or be cut off from the rest the civilizations around you. Change does eventually happen but it should be made on their own term and not because of the outside influences pushing them a certain way.

       This seems to be ever so apparent in the book An Artist of the Floating World by Kazuo Ishiguro. In this novel Master Ono is faced with the decision of changing his thoughts and ideas to a more westernized way of thinking that is being displayed by his son in law. After the war, the younger generation of children in Japan started adapting to the americanized way of living. This unfourtunatly left Ono out in the cold. Due to globalization, he was given the choice of adapting to the new society or being left being to die with his traditional ways. These choices however were not the only one to be made, just the two that were most obvious.

       The same case can also be made when discussing the short story At the Auction of the Ruby Red Slippers by Salman Rushdie. This story takes place during an auction that is taking place. The famous item up for sale was the red slippers from the movie the Wizard of Oz. A movie that was conjured up from the western world now had everyone believing that the shoes were actually magical. Without the movie ever being seen, no person in their right mind would have ever thought that a pair of slippers could contain some magical powers. Instead a bidding war took place and the slippers were given to the person who had the most money and not the person who needed them the most. Were they magical or did they contain no magic at all. These seem to be the two conflicting choices going through the main characters head, the only two choices. In reality the slippers could have been so many other things like a source of inspiration for the buyer but the characters only had the two swaying thoughts about the slippers.

       When thinking of different decisions we have to make it is two easy to limit our options of thinking. We have to get out of the mentality of its either one or the other and start realizing that there are third and fourth options still left to pursue. The more narrow minded we become with our decision making process, the worse our decisions become. It has always been know that you are more likely to be able to pick two good apples out of a bunch of apples and not just the three that are sitting on the table. The more choices we have the better our decisions become.