We face a variety of choices every day, from what to eat for breakfast, to what movie to watch at night, to major life decisions like changing jobs or getting married. Choices are part of our lives and reflect our personalities and values. We often think that having more choices makes us happier because we can find what works best for us based on our preferences and needs. However, do we really feel happy when we are faced with too many choices? Or do you feel confused and dissatisfied instead?
The Paradox of Choice: Why More Is Less?
The question was posed by American psychologist Barry Schwartz, professor of social theory and social action at Swarthmore College and author of The Paradox of Choice: Why More Is Author of Less, and TED Talk speaker. His theory is that when we have too many choices, we not only experience stress and anxiety but also reduce our satisfaction and happiness. He believes that too much choice can lead to the following two main negative consequences:
1.Choose paralysis
This means that when we are faced with too many choices, we feel unable to make a decision or even give up on making a decision. For example, when we go to a supermarket that has 18 types of potato chips, we may spend a long time comparing various brands, flavors and prices, and end up buying nothing. Or, when we have a video app account that offers us 6,000 movies, we might waste hours browsing and sifting through movies without watching any of them. Choosing to be paralyzed can cause us to miss out on valuable opportunities and can also leave us feeling frustrated and incompetent.
2. Decline in satisfaction
This means that after we make a choice, we feel dissatisfied with our choice because we are always worried that there is a better option. For example, after we buy a piece of clothing in a clothing store with hundreds of options, we may regret that we didn’t buy another dress that was more beautiful or cheaper. Or, when we order a dish at a restaurant, we may feel that our dish is not as good as the dish from the table next to us. Decreased satisfaction can make us feel disappointed and blame ourselves, and can also affect our self-esteem and confidence.
How to overcome the paradox of choice?
Schwartz suggests that to avoid the paradox of choice, we should learn to settle for the “good enough” option rather than pursuing the “best” option. He calls such people ‘satisficers’ who stop looking once they find an option that meets their criteria rather than continue looking for a better option. He believes that such people will be happier than those who always seek the best option. He calls these people ‘maximizers’ and will feel uneasy and regret after making a choice. He also suggests that we should reduce our choices, limit our expectations, and be grateful for what we already have.
Conclusion
Schwartz’s theory tells us that having too many choices is not always a good thing and can make our decision-making process complicated and painful. We should learn to make appropriate decisions among many choices, rather than perfect decisions, so that we can enjoy the pleasure of choice instead of being trapped in the dilemma of choice.
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