The Freedom of Limitations
I was going to buy a hot dog the other day. It was easier said than done. There were so many options to choose from: the type of sausage, size, how it should be prepared, type of bread, which toppings I wanted…
Finally, I said, "I'll have an original."
It's nice to have freedom of choice and options, but sometimes it feels more like an obstacle than an opportunity. Soon, you'll have to fire up AI to be able to buy milk.
When it comes to my work on the Bearming theme for Bear, it's the exact opposite—and it feels very liberating.
Since there are limitations to what can be achieved in terms of underlying markup, there aren't many possibilities left when it comes to styling. You have to compromise and think outside the box. Also, since the theme is intended for the general public, you have to try to accomplish everything without getting too technical. It’s challenging, rewarding, and fun at the same time.
Does this mean I’d rather live in a world where everyone's got the same boring cereal? No, of course not. I'll take a little FOMO over waiting in line for a Trabant any day.
I think, however, that it can be useful to consciously limit ourselves somewhat in this world of possibilities. Maybe we don't need five streaming services—at least not at the same time? Maybe it's enough if we limit our social media accounts to one or two?
A great number of our decisions are not really our own but are suggested to us from the outside; we have succeeded in persuading ourselves that it is we who have made the decision, whereas we have actually conformed with the expectations of others, driven by the fear of isolation and by more direct threats to our life, freedom, and comfort.
Written almost a hundred years ago by social psychologist and ”FOMO guru” Erich Fromm. It makes you think, and that’s one of the positive aspects of not being too limited.