The Paradox of Choice

[Gray Fox]

This is a talk by Barry Schwartz explaining his theory about how to much
choice is a bad things and is making us more and more unhappy.
I liked it a lot, and seeing how it's about something that we all encounter
every day I though some people here might also be interested to hear it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VO6XEQIsCoM

My apologies if this has been posted before.

 

[Pesmerga]

I've experienced this a lot.

On one hand, my car; I'm completely happy with it, I couldn't ask for more. This is probably because I have not a single other option available to me. I don't have the money for a new one, selling it and buying another one will probably yield lower results (not to mention it's a lot of work).

On the other, as TCfromBN will verify, I have a hard time determining which class to play on Diablo 2. I've gone from Javazon to Werebear to Summonmancer, etc. Right now I'm a hurricane druid but am I already starting to feel some regret with it. I hope to tough it out, though.

He's not suggesting we eliminate all choices, though, he's merely suggesting to limit your choices to very simple and basic ones. To lower your expectations.

 

[TCfromBN]

Make Up Your Mind!!!
D:




<3

 

[VirusType2]

Actually, at the end, he suggested that we take some of our choices, and give them to people who have no choices, and we will both benefit.

They will benefit from having a choice, and we will benefit from having fewer options to choose from.


Great speech. Too bad we don't have a choice about how many choices we have.


I actually want more choices. I want to see all the choices. That way I can get exactly what I want. If there is something lacking, then it's not my fault, it's the fact that they don't make exactly what I want. I know I've made the best choice however.

The only problem I have, is sorting through all the choices. Filtering out all of the things I don't want isn't always as easy as clicking "sort by feature X". It's getting there though.

 

[Dan]

Actually, at the end, he suggested that we take some of our choices, and give them to people who have no choices, and we will both benefit.

They will benefit from having a choice, and we will benefit from having fewer options to choose from.

So some kid in Africa should get to choose my outfit for the day?

 

[VirusType2]

So some kid in Africa should get to choose my outfit for the day?

I don't know if they'd like your pink dresses.


Dan from SFII has an affection for Pink as well... Hmmmm..

 

[Dan]

I don't know if they'd like your pink dresses.


Dan from SFII has an affection for Pink as well... Hmmmm..

Well care to explain how I should give my choices to other people and how it benefits either me or them?

 

[VirusType2]

Well care to explain how I should give my choices to other people and how it benefits either me or them?

I was just messing with you Dan. Didn't you watch the video?


No he said that some people around the world don't have any choices about what to eat, for example, where we have like 175 different kinds of salad dressing to choose from.


Having too many choices :

takes too much time
leaves you wondering if you made the right choice, feeling bad, and wishing you made a different choice, even when the choice you made is pretty good.
may prevent you from choosing at all