“Anxiety is the dizziness of freedom.”
— Soren Kierkegaard
Simplified Meaning:
Feeling anxious is similar to feeling dizzy because they both happen when we feel overwhelmed by having too many choices or too much freedom. Imagine you are standing in a huge store filled with many different kinds of ice cream. If you don't know which one to choose, you might feel stressed and a bit out of control. This is like how having too many options in life can make us feel anxious. In our daily lives, when we think about all the possible paths we could take, like what job to get or where to live, we can feel uneasy because it's hard to make the best choice. This kind of stress comes from feeling free to choose but not knowing what to decide. For example, a student who has lots of different career options might feel nervous about picking one because it means saying no to all the others. To manage this feeling, it helps to remember that it's okay to take your time and think things through. You can break big decisions into smaller steps, or talk to friends and family for advice. This way, you can make more confident choices without feeling that overwhelming sense of freedom that makes you anxious.
