freedom in choices

Many of the stories I listen to or watch have a scene when the protagonist and side characters debate one's ability to choose. It goes something like this:

"I had no choice!"
"You always have a choice - you could have chosen differently!"
"NO! You left me no other options - my hands were tied!"

Etc., etc., you get the picture.

So anyway.

This has been on my mind a lot. Do we always have a choice? What about life and death choices that involve other people? Through my ponderings, I have come to a conclusion that we always have a choice but the darker conundrum is this:

What freedom is found in a choice when we will be held captive by the consequences of that choice?

Now I have no idea. I have just been contemplating this question for quite a while and that's all I have, but it has been on my heart and mind for a while so I put it in writing. 

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