Be Careful What You Wish For: The Dark Side Of Freedom
Document Type
Book Chapter
Publication Date
2025
Published In
The Routledge Handbook Of The Uncertain Self
Abstract
Citizens of most affluent, democratic societies live in an economic, political, social, and historical context that advances personal freedom and self-determination above all else. Contemporary psychology has embraced this emphasis on self-determination as the key to healthy psychological functioning. However, the enormous opportunity for growth and self-advancement that flows from unlimited freedom of choice may diminish rather than enhance subjective well-being. This chapter argues that the unprecedented freedom thrust onto modern citizens of affluent democracies has occasionally produced numbing personal uncertainty rather personal enlightenment and empowerment. It has also raised the stakes for even trivial decisions, turning them into statements about the self. Increasingly, we are what we eat, what we wear, where we vacation, and how we amuse ourselves. Citizens of affluent democracies are challenged to strike a balance between constraint and freedom to facilitate healthy psychological functioning in the uncertainty, freedom, and abundance of modern life.
Published By
Routledge
Editor(s)
P. J. Carroll, K. Rios, and K. C. Oleson
Recommended Citation
N. N. Cheek and Barry Schwartz.
(2025).
"Be Careful What You Wish For: The Dark Side Of Freedom".
The Routledge Handbook Of The Uncertain Self.
DOI: 10.4324/9781003363385-5
https://works.swarthmore.edu/fac-psychology/1223
