Do society’s rules limit our decisions such that our choices are not freely made?
The fact that society rules limit our decisions is a categorical truth, although some naive critics would say that such rules don’t influence an individual’s decision. They are being too provincial. Two cogent paradigms that show why social context has a direct relation to one’s decision are Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 and the plight of North Koreans in their own nation.
Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 describes a totalitarian and morbid society where books are outlawed and totally forbidden, firemen, instead of putting fires out, burns any books that they found, along with the house, and the owner. Any citizen who shows discontent about the current situation of the society could be secretly terminated. These rules are definitely confining the decisions of individuals during that era; people could not acquire publications or protest against the totalitarian system.
North Korea, a communist country since the 20th century, has established inscrutable rules that limit the free decision making of its own citizens. For example, restrained internet access only for affluent people, scientists and politicians (without social websites and capitalist countries websites), complete lack of products or services from capitalist countries such as soda, credit card, even communication service. There is no way north Koreans could have the liberty of expression and access information of their own desire.
Each individual’s decision making process is based on many factors, including social rules. If one does not take them in consideration, they may be punished and criticized. Also, sometimes social rules can deter people from knowing the real world. For this reason, we should not cling to the false belief that society rules do not limit our decisions.