"Isn't the menu too much?"
Haru said while looking at the cafe menu. Ren and Noa were equally confused.
"Indeed. There are over 50 items," Ren counted.
"I can't choose," Haru held their head. "Why am I so indecisive?"
"That's the paradox of choice," Ren put down the menu. "When there are too many options, it becomes harder to decide."
"It's a scientifically proven phenomenon."
Noa showed interest. "But wouldn't it be worse to have no options?"
"You'd think so, right? But actually, moderate options lead to higher satisfaction."
Haru thought. "Why? Having more choices means more freedom."
"Choice comes with responsibility," Ren began explaining. "Choosing for yourself means the result becomes yours too."
"The possibility of regret."
"Yes. The anxiety that there might have been a better choice always follows."
Noa nodded. "So it's easier to let someone else decide."
"Delegating decisions to others gives you an excuse if things fail."
Haru objected. "But that's not freedom, is it?"
"Freedom and anxiety are two sides of the same coin," Ren said. "Sartre said 'Man is condemned to be free.'"
"Condemned to freedom?"
"The very situation of having to choose is itself a punishment."
"That's heavy," Haru murmured.
Noa approached from another angle. "But not choosing is also a choice, right?"
"Sharp observation. The decision to 'not decide' is also a choice."
Haru took a deep breath. "So there's no escape."
"No escape. That's the core of existentialism."
Ren continued. "Kierkegaard said that through choices, a person forms their self."
"By choosing, you determine who you are?"
"Yes. The accumulation of choices becomes that person's life."
Noa said quietly. "That's why it's scary. Choice is an act of defining oneself."
"Perfectly articulated," Ren acknowledged.
Haru looked at the menu again. "But do I really need to think that much about choosing a cup of coffee?"
"No," Ren laughed. "Not every choice is existential."
"Trivial choices can be left to intuition. What matters is being conscious during important choices."
Noa added. "And taking responsibility for what you've chosen."
Haru decided. "Then I'll have the blend coffee. Because it's the simplest."
"Good choice," Ren said. "You have a clear criterion."
"Having criteria makes choosing easier."
The three each decided their orders. The waiter came.
"Choice is ultimately a dialogue with yourself," Haru said.
"What you desire, what you value."
"A process to discover that."
Noa smiled. "Thinking of it that way, choice isn't just scary."
"It's also an opportunity for growth."
Ren concluded. "Fearing choice is human. But you can't keep avoiding it."
"Then we just have to get used to it little by little."
Their ordered coffee arrived. The result of a small choice is here now.