On Wed, Mar 28, 2012 at 7:15 PM, Srini RamaKrishnan <che...@gmail.com> wrote: > People who desire choice in their career will also desire a choice in > their partner, in their beliefs, in their religion, in their social > circle, in every aspect of life primarily because there's no coercive > counter force. Once career leaves the societal and familial circle > there is no control left over the individual for society to exert, > thus we see more and more expansion of the personal sphere. > > Once there's a critical mass of personal decisions made it becomes > expensive to maintain all three spheres - endless justification of > one's personal decisions to society and family can be demanding, > increasing the concentration of our lives around the personal sphere. > > This is also termed in the West as self actualization and individual > development, which on the face of it is a jolly good idea. > > In a way this is freedom, but it is also lack of insurance, a lack of > a frame of reference. >
Why is it lack of insurance ? I dont see how living in the same house in a big nuclear family is better insurance. From my personal experience I can tell you that one makes choices - you develop alternatives to the insurance provided by extended family, you build your own frames of reference. That can mean building a network of supportive social relationships with other people who are in the same boat as you. You also don't neccessarily lose extended family support - it doesnt have to mean that your aging parents must go to a retirement home - you have a choice now, when there was none before. Also, you are not making choices in isolation - there are extended family members who make similar choices - and are in the same boat, if you maintain a relationship you can count on them. I think making a personal choice is better, because it allows you to expand your social fabric without necessarily losing the security of the birth culture one - and also makes you more responsible since its your decision and not some collective unspoken proclamation. > Chasing the personal sphere is risky - it is the way of the world > today - but it is risky - and worst of all this risk isn't obvious at > first. > Of course its risky, but no more risky than chasing the traditional family sphere.
