Out on a Lim Choosing to stray from my usual choice

Author: Leslie Lim

Something eerie happened to me during the first few days of school. It was night and most appliances in my room were turned off, but I kept hearing really low strains of music. I attributed it to sensitive ears and somebody else's music. But it happened again, and determined that I was not losing my mind, finally found the source of the music. My speakers, which were hooked up to my computer, seemed to get the airwaves of WRMC so I could hear 91.1 FM whether I was actually tuned in or not, even if my computer was off as well. Because of this strange phenomenon, I now hear WRMC at nearly all times. Even with my own music on, I can hear echoes of another song in the background. Although avoidable if I cut the power to the speakers, this auditory invasion had become a minor source of frustration.

However, a couple of days ago, while attempting to do my homework, I heard two DJs talking about their show and introducing the songs. Their music of choice was metal, which is practically a galaxy away from the orbit of my musical taste. But their theme for the night was covers, so I heard metal bands playing songs anywhere from Phantom of the Opera to ABBA. It was surprisingly good and refreshing, and got me thinking about where and when I had developed this aversion to metal. I had no idea. It wasn't that I had an unpleasant experience with that genre per se, but that I enjoyed other types of music so much to the point where I had stopped exploring and appreciating.

The answer may lie in economics; in game theory, people choose sub-optimal outcomes because they are risk-adverse and have no incentive to deviate from a choice that has already given them satisfaction. In laymen's terms, it means that we loathe changing from our usual routine because we clearly know it works, and that we dislike moving to something different because of the chance that it won't be as good as whatever we already have. Makes sense, right? Although this may be contorting a complex economic theory (can also be seen in prisoner's dilemma, anyone?) to my own needs, it is at work all around us. I stuck to the music I was comfortable with because I just didn't know whether something else would be as good. What I listened to might not have been the best or optimal choice, but because it was good, it sufficed.

This principle was even apparent at dinner last night. Thanks to Fall Family weekend and eating out with some lovely parents, my friends and I were at Taste of India. As we ordered, many of us who had frequented the establishment before were guilty of ordering the same thing, our so-called "favorite." Now, how were we to know that this was the best, our favorite dish? The thing is, we didn't. We were passive adherents possibly picking the sub-optimal outcome because it was guaranteed to be okay.

To be honest, I don't particularly think it's a problem that I always stick to Chicken Tikka Masala and garlic naan. And it's perfectly fine to stick with familiar comforts if you really want them. What I think is important is that we be aware of our choices. Are you doing something because of a blind routine? Or is it what you really want? If it's the latter, good for you, I'm glad you're thinking about your choices. But if it's the former, I urge you to give it more thought. Our actions should be with conviction, or at least consideration. Be aware of the optimal choice so that you might venture one day into unknown territory and find something amazing. Maybe you'll find some head banging metal of your own.