by J. Richard Chase This year we will vote for a president, many will change jobs, ward robes, homes and churches. Some will even change basic beliefs. Man is often called a decision making creature. In one sense, deci sions will be more difficult this year. For every situation there will be more options and more information about each option. No longer does a man awake to simply determine which tie he will wear with his blue suit and white shirt. Now he is confronted by striped ties, flowered shirts, and plaid sport coats! Alvin Toffler’s Future Shock gives some idea of the new decisions constantly before us. Products come and go so rapidly in our super markets that “55 percent of all items now sold there did not exist ten years ago.” And, “between 1950 and 1963, the number of different soaps and detergents on the American grocery shelf increased from 65 to 200; frozen foods from 121 to 3 5 0 ....” We probably would guess cor rectly if we said that from -1963 to 1972, the increase in new products was even greater. If you are taking longer to shop, the additional choices are probably responsible. On a higher level, how should we vote? What should we believe about a candidate? What laws should be enacted? In what programs should the church be involved? Some trends are disturbing, others hold prom ise; but who can be trusted? The less information a man has, the easier his decision. That is one reason why ignorance is bliss! But, wise deci sions can only be made on the basis of valid and extensive information, and this takes time and thought. There is a growing mass of information that enlightens, confuses, irritates and, above all else, complicates our conclusions by providing so many sides to each question that quick and easy choices are seldom possible. Toffler reports that in the mid-sixties the world’s authors and Page 4
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