So Sad

I don't usually link to newspaper articles, but this one just broke my heart:

Prenatal Test Puts Down Syndrome in Hard Focus

Since Josh and I would never choose to abort a child, we recognize the possibility that our children may grow up in the world as a distinct minority, if we were to have a child with a disability. I worry about resources being diverted from treatments for conditions that often lead to abortions. It's already happening. The March of Dimes, for example, uses abortion as a way to decrease the incidence of birth defects. As if killing the child is a better way to address the problem than researching ways to treat a disease or providing support to enable a disabled child to reach his or her full potential.

I apologize if you're reading this after the article is no longer accessible.

The Importance of Gratitude

The Paradox of Choice: Why More Is Less
by Barry Schwartz

This book was another of Josh's finds. It's a fascinating look at why having more choices can actually make people more unhappy. It touched on everything from choosing a career to choosing a pair of jeans. (I've always had a problem myself with the toothpaste aisle. Why in the world do we need so many options?)

The first 10 chapters presented a convincing set of studies and reports that having too many options does indeed make an individual unhappy, and has contributed to increasing levels of depression and stress in American society. I thought it was interesting to see how religion, faith and family values can help people deal with this particular kind of stress by limiting options to those that are morally acceptable.

The best chapter, in my opinion, was the eleventh chapter. Here, Schwartz gives some concrete ways to decrease the disadvantages while still enjoying the benefits of all the choices we have today. The eleven steps he gives are all directly related to the evidence presented in the preceeding chapters, but I will try to sum it up in laymen's terms:

Take some time to consider what's important in life. Pay attention to those choices and don't worry about the others. Go with what's "good enough" more often than finding the absolute best. Once you've made a decision don't give yourself the option to go back and choose something else. Be thankful for what you have. Don't waste time and energy on regret. Be aware that whatever you choose, eventually it won't bring as much pleasure as it did at first. Keep expectations within reason. Don't concentrate so much on what others are doing or buying. Embrace limits and constraints that eliminate choices for us.

If you're interested in how these strategies can combat the depressing effect of too many choices, read the book. It's a pretty quick read.