Juliane Koepcke’s survival story began in 1971 when she was just 17. While flying over the Peruvian rainforest with her mother, their plane was struck by lightning during a severe thunderstorm, causing it to break apart. Miraculously, Juliane fell two miles to the forest floor, still strapped to her seat, the sole survivor of the tragic crash. She managed to endure the harsh jungle conditions for 11 days despite suffering from multiple injuries. Relying on her instinct for self-preservation, she drank water from streams and ate whatever she could find, including insects and berries.

What would you do if you were in the same situation? It's fascinating to ponder for many reasons, including the notion of choice. Survivors often describe their life-or-death decisions as intentional acts of will. Koepcke's determination to keep going exemplifies this idea. Our choices shape who we are.

Consider an experiment by psychologist Martin Seligman in the late 1960s. Dogs were placed in harnesses and subjected to electric shocks that they could not escape or control. When the dogs were placed in a situation where they could escape the shocks by jumping over a low barrier, they didn't even try. They had developed a sense of resignation. This experiment demonstrated the concept of learned helplessness. Repeated exposure to uncontrollable negative events leads to a belief that one has no control over the situation, even when opportunities for escape or control are present.

The notion of choice includes the capacity to impact people and situations. This idea also encompasses having the potential to exert such influence. Possessing the power to shape one's environment fosters self-determination.

Despite the lack of a clear evolutionary advantage, humans have an inherent desire for choice. A life devoid of control, where others dictate our decisions, does not lead to true happiness. People tend to experience more joy when they possess a certain degree of control over their lives. An experiment in a nursing home highlighted this phenomenon. Some residents were given the ability to choose when to watch movies and select the plants for their rooms. Over six months, observers noted that those residents who felt they had more control exhibited higher levels of happiness, alertness, and even a lower likelihood of mortality.