Are you familiar with the paradox of choice?

The paradox of choice essentially is this view:

By having numerous options, we carry the burden of choosing.

Let me first state something. The Statue of Liberty symbolizes freedom. We can all agree that freedom is a positive thing correct? Then how do we maximize freedom? By maximizing choice! This theory explores the opposite end of that view. That, by having more and more options, the less happy we will be… and here’s why.

It produces paralysis. With so many options to choose from, people find it difficult to choose at all! How many times have we been in a situation where the solution is just to pick… simple enough right? But we waste so much time over analyzing each option that we don’t pick anything. We stress out because we don’t want to pick the wrong one. Especially when it comes to big life changing decisions. I remember as a kid, I’d make a list of what gaming consoles I wanted. Of course I can only pick one. So i’d write down all the specs, which I didn’t even know what it was telling me, all the games that looked appealing, all the accessories, etc. I spent so much time stressing what I should pick that it made me unhappy every time I thought about it. Weird concept right? Making a choice on something that will give you happiness is making you unhappy…

Which leads to this. Once we finally decide what option to take, we end up less satisfied with the choice than if we had fewer options to choose from.

If you’re not satisfied with something, it’s so easy to imagine you could’ve made a better choice. This imagined alternative induced you to regret the decision you made. This subtracts from the satisfaction of what you have… even if what you have is good. 

Because you’re expectation has escalated. After waiting, listing pros and cons, over analyzing the shit out of the situation, you feel the choice you will make, will be prefect. So you choose. and what happens? You become unsatisfied. Have you ever went shopping for the perfect outfit? After trying on different shirts, of different colors with different jeans of different fittings, you buy an outfit and leave the store aggravated and annoyed. You feel as if the time and energy consumed by this process better have created a flawless outfit. 

…and when something doesn’t live up to our expectations, we feel as if there’s only one person responsible. Ourselves. We begin to blame ourselves for making a “poor decision”. We think to ourselves, “With so many options, so many ways to go about something, there HAS to be that perfect choice out there, it’s my fault for not being able to see which one it is.

In reality, perfect doesn’t exist. The concept of perfect is only “perfect” by what you compare it to. Live in the present with what you have. Don’t rob yourself of satisfaction by thinking “What if”.