In the spirit of Alvin Toffler’s Future Shock a social critique of our obsession with choice
decision fatigue and how it contributes to anxiety dissatisfaction and regret. This paperback
includes a new preface from the author. Whether we're buying a pair of jeans ordering a cup of
coffee selecting a long-distance carrier applying to college choosing a doctor or setting
up a 401(k) everyday decisions—both big and small—have become increasingly complex due to the
overwhelming abundance of choice with which we are presented. The cognitive load overwhelms us.
As Americans we assume that more choice means better options and greater satisfaction. But
beware of excessive choice: choice overload can make you question the decisions you make before
you even make them it can set you up for unrealistically high expectations and it can make
you blame yourself for any and all failures. In the long run this can lead to decision-making
paralysis anxiety and perpetual stress. And in a culture that tells us that there is no
excuse for falling short of perfection when your options are limitless too much choice can
lead to clinical depression. In The Paradox of Choice Barry Schwartz explains at what point
choice—the hallmark of individual freedom and self-determination that we so cherish—becomes
detrimental to our psychological and emotional well-being. In accessible engaging and
anecdotal prose Schwartz shows how the dramatic explosion in choice—from the mundane to the
profound challenges of balancing career family and individual needs—has paradoxically become
a problem instead of a solution. Schwartz also shows how our obsession with choice encourages
us to seek that which makes us feel worse. By synthesizing current research in the social
sciences Schwartz makes the counter intuitive case that eliminating choices can greatly reduce
the stress anxiety and busyness of our lives. He offers eleven practical steps on how to
limit choices to a manageable number have the discipline to focus on those that are important
and ignore the rest and ultimately derive greater satisfaction from the choices you have to
make.
