We love being given options. They feel safe, certain, and controllable. When we see them, we immediately start performing trade-offs. We ask ourselves, “Which is best?”
But options can be dangerous. They can be used by others to create a false sense of security. Just because we’re given a set of options, doesn’t mean that those are the best options available. It takes a lot of effort to imagine the possibilities that are not on the page.
Whenever we’re given a set of options, it’s always worth pausing as asking ourselves, “What could be missing from this list? And could they be better than the options I’ve been presented?”