The Art of Choosing is Changing Asia

I just finished watching the very good TED presentation from Sheena Iyengar and it got me thinking. The presentation is embedded at the end of this post.

Many research studies in economic psychology have shown how individual behaviors towards choice, and the satisfaction we draw form our choices, differ when the number of choices to choose from is low versus when it is high.

These studies show that there is such a thing as too much choice. When faced with too many options, the chances of us choosing poorly increase proportionally and we may end up less happy as a result. Not knowing whether we made the right choice or not can be harder than having a choice in the first place.

What is more interesting to an expat living in Asia like me is that the perception of choice varies across culture. While Occidentals tend to view choice and free will as an intrinsically good thing to have, Asian may sometimes prefer to have fewer choices.

Culturally, choice is seen in Asia not just a way of defining and asserting their individuality, like in the West, but a way to create harmony and unity. By deferring their power to choose to people they trust and respect, usually their elders or parents, Asian put the collectivity well being above their personal one.

This can explain why the Chinese, Singaporean, or to a lesser degree the Malaysian one, tend to constrain the options their constituent can choose from. Such authoritarianism has been particularly effective at generating growth over the past 50 years, and for a while, it was a win win situation.

The problem now is that the western culture of choice is spreading fast in Asia; the most visible symbol of this phenomenon being the many mega-shopping-center mushrooming across the region. More importantly, this trend is spreading from the economic to the political arena.

The past ten years have seen an immense shift, with people from Taiwan, Indonesia, or Malaysia starting to get their voice heard more and more. I believe this trend will only strengthen over the next few years, and I hope Asian (and especially Malaysian) authorities will be wise enough to understand it and accept it.