This article is the second part of a review of The Paradox of Choice, Why More is Less (2004, Harper Books) by Barry Schwartz. Schwartz’s main point of discussion in the book is that “as the number of choices increase, negative aspects of having a multitude of options begin to appear………the negatives escalate until we become overloaded.” Dealing with the multitude of choices in today’s world, whether we notice it or not, take a toll on our mental and physical stabilities.
Indeed, as The Paradox of Choice notes, suicide rates are the highest in countries whose citizens have the most freedom of choosing and the most to choose from; the personal freedom that is enjoyed by peoples of developed Western nations and western oriented nations like Japan. Schwartz notes it is much easier to blame oneself for disappointing results in a world that provides unlimited choice than in a world in which options are limited.
Blaming oneself for failed results leads to a sense of loss of control which leads to helplessness and ultimately, for many, to depression. Schwartz cites one psychologist’s hypothesis that states "having control is of crucial importance to psychological, subjective well-being” (defined as happiness). But, enough about talk of depression! How can one deal with choices and reduce the potential, negative consequences?
There are ways to deal with or even eliminate much of the stress associated with making choices. The following ways, according to Schwartz, require practice, discipline, and changes in the way we think: (1) Choose when to choose – decide which choices in life really matter and focus time and energy on them; (2) Be a chooser/not a picker – reflect on important decisions before choosing/don’t pick the most convenient options; (3) Satisfice more/maximize less –cultivate the habit of being “satisfied” in more areas of life (don’t try to always “maximize” results/what you get from decisions); (4) Think about the “opportunity costs” of trying to maximize – these costs eat up time, energy, and resources, so stick with your decision, avoid temptations for the new/improved, and don’t scratch unless there is an itch; (5) Make decisions non-reversible – discard the temptation to look at seemingly better alternatives, and pour energy into improving the current situation; (6) Practice gratitude – reflect on how much better things are than they might be; (7) Regret Less – reduce number of options to consider/cultivate the “satificer” attitude; (8) Anticipate anticipation – spend less time researching and agonizing over decisions before they are made; (9) Control expectations – remove excess expectations of your decisions; (10) Reduce social comparisons – do less “keeping up with the Jones”/learn that good enough is good enough; (11) Learn to appreciate constraints – develop your own rules and standards for making certain choices; stick with them till they become habits; keeping true to them enables you to imagine more possibilities.
