Reflections on “Choice”

Preface

Since Sina Blog officially shut down, I tried to continue writing on WeChat Official Accounts. But due to the censorship system, articles would often fail to be published without any clear indication of which keyword triggered the rules. The process of repeatedly modifying content just to pass review became exhausting, so I eventually stopped writing.

Did that feel fine? Not at all. It felt genuinely uncomfortable. Many thoughts remained only in verbal conversations, without being preserved in written form. I was also concerned that over time, these thoughts would simply fade away. So later, I started a YouTube channel to record some of these ideas. However, I gradually realized that the information density of video is far lower than that of written text. The need to write never really disappeared.

After coming to Canada and studying what I truly wanted to learn, I began thinking again about building my own blog. This had been a long-standing goal. The idea actually dates back to around 2008. At that time, there were already many third-party platforms for showcasing content—QQ Space, Xiaonei, Baidu Space. I started writing in 2007. I never wanted anything flashy or elaborate, just something simple, with images, where I could store my writing.

Then I encountered a personal blog belonging to a friend of a friend. The clean domain name, the sense of ownership over the content—it felt ideal.

After that, I cannot count how many times I searched for tutorials, how many times I tried to build a blog from scratch, and how many times I gave up when faced with what felt like an insurmountable knowledge gap.

There were two main obstacles.

First, the definition of “starting from zero” is subjective. Authors define their own baseline, and even if the starting point is truly zero, the steps often become too large to follow. Missing one step leads to missing everything that follows. If the current step cannot be resolved, progress stops completely.

Second, online information quickly becomes outdated. Even when following a suitable tutorial step by step, version updates change interfaces, commands, or compatibility. At that point, the process breaks again.

This time, I successfully built my blog thanks to my friend Yongqi, as well as the knowledge I gained from my coursework. I also have to acknowledge that with the development of AI, I now have an interactive channel to resolve many small but otherwise difficult problems.

This article is not about how to build a blog. I will cover that separately later.

Today, the topic is how to approach choice.

Constraints

In recent years, I have often been asked questions such as: “If you were in this situation, what would you choose?”

Given my personality, I do not give vague answers. After understanding the situation, I give a clear choice along with my reasoning.

At that point, I am often asked in return: “If you choose that, wouldn’t you miss out on something? Or fail to avoid certain outcomes?”

The answer is yes. Sometimes the reasoning is subjective. I will explicitly state that it is based on my own risk assessment, personal preference, or past experience.

However, I often sense that the other person is not expecting a choice, but rather a perfect explanation that reconciles all contradictions—something that says everything, yet commits to nothing. In such cases, I usually stop the discussion.

What I want to emphasize is this:

Every choice is made under constraints—based on limited conditions, personal ability, and available resources.

Instead of trying to achieve a perfect balance, it is more important to recognize from the beginning that every choice is inherently constrained.

Compulsion

Beyond constraints, many choices also carry an element of compulsion.

When making a decision, we are rarely in a state of complete freedom. We are often resisting certain forces.

This compulsion is something I will explore further in a later discussion about regret. Here, I want to emphasize that we should at least identify the forces influencing our choices.

It is often impossible to eliminate all external pressures. The key is not elimination, but clarity of origin.

In ideal conditions, we can choose which pressure to confront. Choosing option A may require resisting one type of pressure, while choosing option B involves another.

Among all factors, one stands out:

Time.

If we fail to identify the sources of compulsion, we may appear to be carefully weighing options, but in reality, we are already under the influence of time.

Time has two defining characteristics:

1. Its pressure generally increases, not decreases.

2. Its effect is irreversible.

Time cannot be removed as a factor.

If time becomes the dominant force, we lose most of our agency.

I have long held the view that:

If we do not make a choice when we can, time will eliminate options for us.

New options may appear, but in practice, available choices tend to decrease over time.

Dynamics and Adjustment

After understanding constraints and compulsion, the core point emerges:

Choice is not a one-time event. It is continuous, dynamic, and evolving.

If we treat a decision as final and static, we risk misattributing future outcomes.

For example, my decision to come to Canada was made after careful consideration. However, policy changes occurred during the process. This does not mean the original choice was wrong. It means the process is dynamic and requires continuous adjustment.

I often compare this to driving.

As a child, I did not understand why experienced drivers constantly adjusted the steering wheel on a straight road. Why not just hold it steady?

Later, I learned that even small deviations accumulate. Without continuous correction, the car will drift.

Choice operates the same way. Small errors accumulate over time. Continuous adjustment is necessary.

Understanding constraints helps here. It encourages ongoing information gathering, reducing the impact of limitations and improving the efficiency of reaching the intended direction.

Adjustment frequency matters. Correcting every three seconds leads to a different trajectory than correcting every ten seconds.

Without this dynamic perspective, misattribution occurs. Problems that should be corrected during the process are instead blamed on the initial decision.

This is common in daily life.

For example, someone caught in the rain might blame not bringing an umbrella, ignoring other factors. Or statements like: “If I had known, I would have chosen differently.”

In many cases, this reflects a misunderstanding of what choice actually is.

Caution and Confidence

The impact of caution and confidence on decision-making is something I have only recently reflected on.

I consider myself a confident person, sometimes even perceived as arrogant. This led me to examine the consequences of that trait.

Confidence tends to lower perceived risk and difficulty. In contrast, cautious individuals tend to evaluate risk more heavily.

There is no inherent right or wrong here. The difference lies in how risk is assessed.

Because of this, I am more likely to act earlier. This increases initiative and expands available options, but also increases opportunity cost and the risk of missing alternatives.

However, as discussed earlier, early action often provides greater agency. Combined with continuous adjustment, it may lead to faster progress.

Many processes are sequential. Like in games, one cannot skip levels. Without completing the first stage, the second cannot begin.

This is not an argument that confidence is better than caution. It is simply an exploration of how these traits influence decision-making.

My focus has always been on understanding processes and factors, rather than judging outcomes.

Conclusion

To approach choice effectively:

• Recognize its inherent constraints.

• Identify and understand sources of compulsion.

• Maintain initiative where possible.

• Continuously gather information and adjust decisions over time.

Only then can choice be understood as a complete process.

The next topic is how these choices lead to the emotion of regret.