Cargo pants, cowboy boots, a multicoloured rug, or even an iPhone… Whenever I find myself wanting something, I try to ask: is this my genuine desire, or is it shaped by external influences? I reflect on whether it was something I saw on social media or in the world around me that sparked this invisible pressure to want one specific item. Rejecting something I don’t truly need—and likely won’t want in the near future—feels like reclaiming my free will. It feels like outwitting a bad move, dodging a trick, and saying, “You won’t get me this time” to the consumption society we all live in.

In a world swirling with options, every decision carries weight. From the smallest selection on a grocery shelf to life-changing paths we walk down, choice defines our existence. But are our choices good ones? And what even makes a choice “good”? To choose wisely is to navigate the thin line between need and want, practicality and excess, utility and frivolity. The modern world bombards us with decisions at every turn, yet with an ever-present undertow urging us to simplify. Why, then, are we so often drawn to what’s unnecessary? History may hold part of the answer. Long ago, survival depended on hoarding and acquiring anything that could stave off the threat of scarcity. That instinct seems to linger today, nudging us toward accumulation even when the abundance of modern life makes such habits obsolete. But (contemporary) wisdom teaches us that true survival now lies not in having more but in making better choices, focusing on what is useful, sustainable, and ultimately essential. To use well is to choose wisely, and in that lies the potential for a life of balance, harmony, and, perhaps… clarity.

Marie Kondo, for instance, advocates for a decluttered life by encouraging us to keep only those items that “spark joy.” Her “KonMari method” is built on the idea that every object in our space should serve a purpose, either practically or emotionally. By reassessing our belongings, she invites us to be more intentional in how we use and curate our personal environments.

This approach highlights a fundamental principle: making choices that enhance our well-being and align with our values. Today, the essence of a good choice often revolves around minimising excess and focusing on what adds genuine value. In the end, the choices we make reflect who we are and the world we want to live in. So, let’s ask ourselves: Why is choice important in our everyday lives?

Who: Ester Azzola
What: Chef & biologist
Where: Milan + Italy
When: 1 August 1987, 37 years old
Why: Why is choice important in the everyday?
Making conscious choices is one of the superpowers of “higher animals,” but with it comes the burden of asking ourselves: what impact will this decision have in the future? It’s not enough to think about the here and now. We have to take a mental leap into the short and long term—stressful, right? Every choice we make daily, no matter how small, is potentially a combination between being the “sword” that hurts or the “band-aid” that heals. Our actions can cause harm or healing, and every time we decide to do or not do something, we can, even unknowingly, contribute to creating beauty, compassion, and that pleasant sense of living in a community. It’s like when you’re invited to dinner, and you decide to bring the best (not that €1.99 bottle of spumante you’ll try to pass off as a grand cuvée). That’s in theory—but in practice, how responsible are we for our choices? How rarely are they actually farsighted, thoughtful, or sensible? Choosing consciously and responsibly every day is a great privilege we repeatedly choose to lose. Just like when you let the cat sleep in your bed once, knowing it’ll never truly be yours again.

Who: Gigi
What: Casting Director
Where: In the studio
When: 8 February 2001, 23 years old
Why: Why is choice important in the everyday?
In my job as a casting director, every choice has a significance. It is not just about selecting a face but about giving an identity, a soul to an entire campaign. It is never just a question of aesthetics. For me, true beauty is in simplicity and authenticity. But, even there, you have to balance everything. In the end, it is through these choices that I have the opportunity to shape something unique. Every face I choose, every detail taken care of, everything contributes to telling a story. And as in any good story, truth and authenticity are what make the message really powerful. Because, in the end, the beauty that remains is not only in the eyes of the beholder but in what you feel, without filters.

Who: Juna Horstmans
What: Artist + Designer
Where: London, United Kingdom
When: 2 February 1996, 28 years old
Why: Why is choice important in the everyday?
Living in a busy city like London can leave you feeling overwhelmed with options, turning choice into a daily noisy battle. From the moment I wake up, life becomes a stream of decisions: Should I go for that job that promises to pay in “great exposure”? Spend the afternoon workshopping a witty DM to Nowness? Badger that friend of a friend who’s aunt runs a design studio? When producing my art, however, choice takes on a different quality. Each decision—whether intentional or instinctive—has the power to transform a piece, but often the act of creating liberates me from the weight of those choices. This sense of freedom within my art making feels like a silent retreat from the constant chatter of choice. Through detachment, I allow space for spontaneity, for the raw and instinctive choices that often lead to the most authentic version of myself.

Who: Abou-Haidar Laurent
What: Painter
Where: Paris, France
When: 6 March 1989, 35 years old
Why: Why is choice important in the everyday?
Choice, to me, reflects both the concept of free will and determination. It’s possible that we all have some kind of destiny beyond our control, but we also have the ability to make choices that shape our lives and lead us down hidden paths. For my part, after completing my law studies, I chose to pursue art, more specifically painting. This first major decision had a huge impact on my daily life. I left behind a legal career, financial security, and threw myself 100% into a world where the pursuit of beauty is the ultimate goal. Beauty is a subjective notion, different for each person, but for me, a painting is beautiful when it is true and evokes emotion in others. To create a painting, I make countless concrete choices every day. I choose a theme for a series, a colour palette, a technique, and the tools to use. I draw several sketches, selecting those I feel are best to transform into paintings. At the start of it all, I chose to spend a year in Vietnam as part of a university exchange during my law studies. That choice eventually led me, years later, to paint the Vietnamese fishermen I had met there. Once I settle on a theme, I draw several sketches, then choose some to turn into paintings. Next, I select a technique I want to use. In this case, I felt like painting on the floor, layering two canvases on top of each other. On one, I applied a thick layer of paint corresponding to my sketch, and on the other, a solid colour background, which I placed over the first canvas, creating a transfer or print. The choice of colours is crucial because it sets the tone or atmosphere of the painting. With this technique, I leave room for chance, since I never know exactly how the paint will transfer to the second canvas. The size of the canvas is also very important to me. I almost always choose large formats because I love the feeling of being enveloped in the canvas and its colours. Gauguin said that a kilo of green is more green than half a kilo, and I believe he was right. Today, I choose to talk to you about my daily choices because I enjoy spreading the idea that we all have the power to choose the life we want to live. Too many people think they are stuck, but I’m convinced we all have the choice to live according to our nature and, in doing so, to strive for happiness.

Who: Marco Lombardi
What: Photographer
Where: Milan, Italy
When: 11 February 2000, 24 years old
Why: Why is choice important in the everyday?
What drives me to photograph is my need to be able to see and recognise myself, often through the image or space of others. The act of photography helps me to train my curiosity with a tender gaze, this tenderness means I am able to accept my own inaccuracies and those of others.

Who: Sofia Lai
What: Visual Artist and Fashion Stylist
Where: London, UK
When: 26 September 1992, 32 years old
Why: Why is choice important in the everyday?
Choice is what makes us humans. Choice is the most powerful tool we have, and sometimes it is easier to believe we don’t have a choice, we lack a voice, preventing us from making an effort and thinking of ourselves and our behaviour in relation to others. Choice is to be able to freely decide between alternatives, meaning that we all as human beings are in charge of our behaviour and thinking. Choice is freedom but also a burden. We have the freedom to choose our paths in life but we also have the. burden of making the right choices. Choice is a constant effort, the effort we put into how we decide to perceive life. Choice is what allows us to think about ourselves in relation to others. Choice is what allows us to choose what to share or not of ourselves with others. In “My Secret Life”, Leonard Cohen states: “I smile when I’m angry / I cheat and I lie / I do what I have to do / To get by / But I know what is wrong / And I know what is right / And I’d die for the truth / In my secret life.” Choice is acknowledging our limitations and accepting ourselves. Choice keeps us alive.