SEtalk: Why Too Many Choices Make Us Unhappy

How long did it take you to choose your last phone? For me, buying a pair of headphones once took three weeks. I'm not joking — I actually made a spreadsheet! Today, I want to explain why that happens to so many of us. It was two in the morning, and I was still reading reviews. There were over two hundred models, so I was spoilt for choice. Whenever I found a good pair, I'd spot a better one, so I'd keep on looking. By the time I finally ordered some, I'd lost all interest. I'd spent three weeks choosing, and I wasn't even happy. It turns out I'm not alone. In 2000, a jam-tasting table was set up in a California supermarket. Sometimes the table had twenty-four flavours, and sometimes just six. The big table attracted more shoppers, which isn't surprising. But only three percent of them actually bought a jar! At the small table, ten times as many people bought jam! The study suggested that too much choice can stop us from choosing. Later studies pointed out that it isn't always this strong, but it keeps showing up when the choice is complicated. And what happens when we do manage to choose? Psychologist Barry Schwartz describes two kinds of people. Maximizers are people who have to find the very best option. Satisficers stop searching as soon as something is good enough. A 2006 study followed students who were looking for their first job. The maximizers ended up with salaries about twenty percent higher. Yet they felt worse about the jobs they'd accepted! They were more anxious, and they kept doubting their decision. Options seem endless, so we assume the perfect one exists. We can't stop thinking that another choice might have been better. These days, I've become a proud satisficer. I choose three options, and I give myself one evening. Last month, I bought a new laptop in under an hour! It probably isn't the best one, but I love it. If you had only three options, you'd decide in minutes, and you'd probably feel happier, too. So next time you're stuck, make your list shorter. Good enough is often exactly what we need. Thank you, and good luck with your next choice!