Freedom ≠ Happiness?

What is different about Western Society?  What is the ideal, the thing we all fight for and yearn for and are willing to die for? 

Freedom.

We want the ability to choose.  Not just the ability to choose, but actual options.  We want as many choices as possible, and we want the choices to always be available.

This is the American Dream.  This is the Declaration of Independence.  This is Democracy!

This is also what destroys our happiness and satisfaction, and fills us with regret.  This is what fills our lives with temporary thrills at the cost of true happiness.
 
How?

We used to make a choice and then live with that choice.  When me made some choices, we made them once...for life.  Now we've had a freedom revolution.  Nothing is permanent, no choice is final, and everything can be reconsidered.

Don't learn to be happy with what you choose, just choose something else.  Don't be happy with your body the way it is, choose a new one.  Don't like your birth sex, change it.  Don't like your spouse, change it.

We have the freedom to choose, and we've realized we can always reconsider...which means we can always regret that choice instead of finding happiness in it.

I heard something frightening recently.  A professor said:  "I don't think we were ever meant to be monogamous for 50 years.  Monogamy worked back when we only lived for 25 years of marriage, but now we can have serial monogamy.  Stay in a relationship for 10-20 years, then pick a new one.  What person is going to choose the same person at age 20- that they would at age 50?  None.  So serial monogamy should be the new norm."

This is what freedom is leading to:  NO permanent choices, no accountability, and no need to make a choice and stick with it.  It's no longer "choose your love and love your choice"  but rather "choose your love and keep the receipt."

Freedom is wonderful; but like all things it can be twisted and perverted into something terrible.