The Paradox of Choice - by Barry Schwartz
'Why Less Is More' or 'How the culture of abundance robs us of satisfaction'
Barry Schwartz is the author of The Paradox of Choice. One day, went to the store to buy a new pair of jeans. He said to the store person that he wanted a pair of blue jeans: 32 waist, 28 leg. She asked – do you want them stone washed, acid washed, torn, distressed? do you want zip fly or button fly? do you want them faded or regular? do you want them slim fit, easy fit, or relaxed fit? straight leg, skinny leg or extra baggy?
Barry just wanted “the regular kind”, but there’s no such thing any more
Buying jeans is a trivial matter, but its indicative of a much greater theme in the world today. When people have NO choice it becomes restrictive and unbearable. As choices increase, we feel a sense of autonomy, control, and liberation – variety brings us a feeling of power and positivity. BUT, as the number of choices KEEPS growing more and more, there are negative aspects of having TOO MANY choices. More choice no longer liberates, it debilitates.
This book argues that:
- We would be better off if we embraced certain voluntary constraints on our freedom of choice, instead of rebelling against them
- We would be better off seeking what was “good enough” instead of seeking the best
- We would be better off if we lowered our expectations about the results of decisions
- We would be better off if the decisions we made were nonreversible
- We would be better off if we paid less attention to what others around us were doing
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