Choices: We all Have Them

A few days a go while following a link someone tweeted, I tripped across a blog post that got me to thinking about the choices we make.

The article was written by an artist. We’ll call her Maggie. I don’t really want to promote her because I don’t know her. I only want to focus on the content of her article.

The article centered around the fact that Facebook shut down her account.

Apparently she posted a nude photograph of herself and a female model in a sexual embrace. She said that it was a photo she had taken for reference purposes for a painting she was going to do.

The article was respectful, well written, and avoided any kind of rant. It was, however, an attempt to both complain about Facebook’s action and rationalize her decision to post the photo, even though she was aware of Facebook’s terms of service against posting nudity on their site.

What stimulated my thoughts, though, was not so much her post, but the comments at the end of her post.

As you can guess, they were split. Her defenders were outraged at Facebook’s action and accused Facebook of censoring her work. Some ranted, some even used “fascist” to describe the action of suspending her account.

Her detractors, on the other hand, raged about her audacity at posting a nude photo containing lesbian content.

She rationalized her action stating that it was her responsibility as an artist to always “push the envelope” and so she posted the photo in order to do so.

Now, let me be clear. Personally, I could care less about any of the controversy. It’s none of my business, and I won’t comment on the rightness or wrongness of any of it.

What I do want to comment on is what the whole business reveals about life and what we must pay attention to, if we are going to live well.

As I read through both Maggie’s rationalization and the resultant set of arguments made by both supporters and detractors, I noticed that not one person addressed an issue that was fundamental to the whole incident.

I noticed that no one addressed the fact that choices were made by both Maggie and Facebook and that those choices had serious consequences.

For Maggie the consequences were that her site was shut down and she was forbidden any kind of access to it.

For Facebook the consequences were that they opened themselves to vitriolic rhetoric and the possibility of damage to their reputation.

We are faced with choices everyday. Some are minor and of little consequence. What shall I wear today? Shall I have eggs or cereal for breakfast? Coffee or tea?

Other choices, however, can have major impact in our lives. Should I go see the doctor about a possible indication of cancer? Should I quit my job and start a business? Should I marry this person I seem to be in love with?

Choices, good or bad, all have consequences.

Maggie’s post, to me, was an attempt to rationalize away the consequences of her action. After all according to her she was just doing what every artist must do — push the envelope.

This was actually nothing more than an attempt to shift blame onto Facebook while justifying her violation of their terms of service.

As long as she continues to rationalize away the consequences of her own choice, she will never learn new and more effective ways impact the world around her.

Her commenters went even further by avoiding the issue of choice completely. Neither her supporters or detractors acknowledged the fact that she made a choice. Conscious or not, she still made a choice.

When you refuse to see that consequences are tied directly to your choices, you set yourself up for continual disaster in your life.

If we avoid making choices, then choices get made for us. If we refuse to think about the choices we make, then wrong choices will get made and problem after problem will assail us.

Facebook, on the other hand, made a choice way before the controversy occurred, and that choice tied their hands. Essentially, they created a terms of service agreement at the beginning that states that they will not tolerate nudity on anyone’s Facebook page.

They must now live with that decision otherwise they would have to make exceptions for everyone. Their choice early on forced their choice to shut down Maggie’s site.

Yes, choices have consequences. Fortunately, we have the ability to think about our choices. To process as much information as we can gather. To seek wisdom from others, and consider our resultant actions.

Because of the power to choose, we can plan out and build a life that works for us in spite of unforeseen bumps in the road.

I wouldn’t have it any other way.

What do you think? How do you go about making choices in your life? What has worked for you? What hasn’t? Share your thoughts in the comment section below. I’d love to hear them.

Photo Credit: flickr user ponchosquealº