Their older children all became doctors, but their youngest son chose/followed a different (career) 'path'.
His friends all went to college, but he chose to 'follow' a different path. [=to do something different]
He believes the average consumer is being 'led down the garden path' by the promises in advertisements.
(..) Commodore! What about Sparrow? Well, I think we can afford to give him one day's head start. So. This is the path you've chosen, is it? After all, he is a blacksmith. No. He's a pirate. Heave! (..)2003 Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl