The Paradox Of Choice Why Less Is More Essay

The Paradox of Choice Why Less is More by Barry Schwartz is a book about the pitfalls in an overstimulated world. We live in a society where options are endless, and so are the anxieties that come along with having so many available choices. Schwartz discusses how having too many options can hinder a person’s overall enjoyment of decision making, which can eventually lead to high anxieties, indifference, and even depression. Living in a world that allows one the freedom to choose whatever their heart desires seems pretty ideal, but as Schwartz points out, it can be anything but ideal. Schwartz first describes how unlimited options can leave a person feeling that no matter what decision they make, they will be making a mistake because they …show more content…
Overall, people need to limit their choices down to situations that matter most to them as a person, this will help narrow the field and make people more secure in their decisions. As individuals we need to try to maximize less which will save time and energy. Another method for helping reduce anxieties is making a decision and sticking with it, convince yourself that it is a permanent choice, this will improve the satisfaction of the decision being made. Finally, schwartz gives the tip to embrace constraints. One should allow themselves the opportunity to enjoy the constraints around them because it gives them greater optimism about the decisions they have made (222-235). The Paradox of Choice is a book about the overwhelming decisions we are faced with everyday due to all the options our society presents us with. Through trade-off decisions, being a maximizer, and a lack of confidence in decision making due to possible consequences leads to indecisiveness and even depression. The ability to limit our choices by deciding what is best for us personally, sticking with our decisions and embracing constraints one can become happier in the world packed full of