The Paradox of Choice: Why More Is Less by barry schwartz

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

July 14,2025

Have you not read How We Decide - read it!

Have you not read The Paradox of Choice: Why More Is Less - also read it!!

The director of the Alexandria Library, Ismail Serageldin, once said that information was once available like a pile from a broken water faucet; now information is available like a water source in the desert from a fire hydrant. Neither way is possible to drink up.

This book is one of the first ones I read that offers an explanation, framework, and suggestions on how to learn to regulate the flow of information and choices in one's life to improve the quality of life rather than reduce it.

I printed out the summary section for reading and as a reminder to myself every day.

Truly a valuable book.

0 0 Reply

Cyaano

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

July 14,2025

Classics. It is quoted in many books about decision-making and the psychology of choice. These classics have withstood the test of time and have provided valuable insights into the complex processes of human decision-making. They offer profound understandings of how our minds work when faced with choices, and how various factors influence our decisions. By studying these classics, we can gain a better understanding of our own decision-making patterns and learn to make more informed and rational choices. Whether it is in business, personal life, or any other领域, the wisdom contained in these classics can be applied to help us navigate the challenges and opportunities that come our way.

0 0 Reply

MetalWing

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

July 14,2025

I read this book thanks to Blinkist.

The key message in this book is that everyday decisions have become extremely complex in modern society. With the vast range of choices available, the negative impacts on our psychological well-being are also increasing. As the number of options grows, it becomes harder to make a wise decision, and we end up deriving less satisfaction from our choices. It seems that some degree of voluntary constraint could be beneficial for everyone. By choosing less, there is a higher chance that we will be happier.

The actionable advice from the book includes reviewing your decision-making process. A simple exercise can help you limit your options and feel better. First, look back at some recent decisions you've made, both significant and minor. Then, list the steps, time, research, and anxiety involved in making those decisions. This will give you an overview of the costs associated with different types of decisions and help you establish rules for future decision-making, such as how many options to consider or how much time and energy to invest in choosing.

Another piece of advice is to become a satisficer. Appreciating and accepting "good enough" will simplify decision-making and increase satisfaction. Think about times in your life when you've been comfortable with settling for "good enough" and closely examine how you made those choices. Then, start applying this "satisficing" strategy to more aspects of your life.

0 0 Reply

Progeny

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

July 14,2025

A book that all modern people should read!

It provides a good and clear explanation of how a large amount of freedom of choice in all situations of life can lead to significant unhappiness and a loss of quality of life.

We should all strive to a greater extent to become what Schwartz calls "satisficers" rather than being "maximisers".

In today's society, we are constantly bombarded with choices. From the clothes we wear to the career paths we choose, the options seem endless.

However, this abundance of choice can often be overwhelming and lead to dissatisfaction.

The author argues that by being "satisficers", we can find contentment with good enough options rather than always striving for the perfect one.

This approach can help us reduce stress, make decisions more easily, and ultimately lead to a more fulfilling life.

So, if you're looking for a thought-provoking read that can change the way you approach life's choices, this book is definitely worth checking out.

0 0 Reply

Jakeman

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

July 14,2025

First of all, if you haven't seen Tad Tak's author, go and see it first!

Secondly, it is very likely that after seeing Tad Tak, like me, you will think that there is no need to read this book anymore and Tad Tak has completely covered the topics of the book... but don't make this mistake! The book has much more useful content than these words.

I highly recommend this book. Why? Because it helps us understand what good comes to our minds with the choices we make and the practical freedom we have in our choices, and it helps us understand why these events are happening. And finally, it gives us several solutions to improve decision-making.

I read the original language of the book, which was not very complicated and could be read easily and smoothly.

7.4.1399

0 0 Reply

Chibi_Miyuki

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

July 14,2025

"The Paradox of Choice" is, in many aspects, a straightforward book. It presents concrete data that supports numerous "obvious" platitudes that people often disregard when making poor life choices.

This book was truly a revelation for me, as it had a great deal of relevance to the culture of worry and second-guessing in which I was raised. It is part exploration of our society with its excessive options and the misery they seem to inflict on its inhabitants, and part self-help guide. In contrast to "True Enough", it is a book that rather succinctly summarizes the solutions that Mr. Schwartz believes we have at our disposal regarding our indecision in life.

It is an extremely thought-provoking book. Instead of attempting to summarize his points, almost all of which I concur with, I recommend that you conduct a search for Barry Schwartz on Google Videos or YouTube, as several of his lectures are accessible.

Explaining the real science behind why pursuing money and comparing one's success to that of others leads to misery has truly transformed my perspective on how to manage choice in a culture of overwhelming possibilities.

0 0 Reply

vjtatakae

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

July 14,2025

The premise of this book initially intrigued me. I anticipated a profound analysis of how the plethora of choices, or at least the illusion of choice, impacts our perception of freedom, satisfaction, and enjoyment. However, it turned out to be a repetitive tome that resembled an older man's lament about the numerous varieties of beans in the supermarket.

He seems to complain, "I just want a can of beans! Why are there so many types! Just give me beans!"

To be fair, at one point, he does indeed bewail the abundance of bean options in the average supermarket. This wasn't quite the kind of choice abundance I expected to be hindering our daily lives. He further elaborates with more anecdotes about his struggle to adapt to the vast array of choices in the modern marketplace. He describes the agony of selecting a pair of jeans, given the numerous cuts available now that clothing designers have recognized the existence of multiple body types.

His approach to buying jeans truly made me lose respect for his handling of the entire subject of choice. Instead of simply trying on different cuts in the dressing room, he purchases all the various types and takes them home to determine which one suits him. I couldn't help but think, "Isn't that what dressing rooms are for?" His actions made the process far more convoluted and difficult than it needed to be, leading me to wonder what other concepts he had needlessly complicated.

I find it hard to believe that it would be better for a clothing store to disregard different body types and only produce clothes that fit one ideal body type to simplify the shopping experience. The reality is that everyone has to go through the process of finding the cut of jeans that works best for them, and after that, they simply remember and select the cut they know fits. It's not as if someone reevaluates and tries on every single cut every time they go to buy jeans. Just as people know their size, they also know their cut. Unless, of course, there's a size 6 who tries sizes 0 - 14 only to discover that a size 6 still fits her best.

He even attempts to argue that having more than one vacation destination is a bad thing, claiming that the act of deciding makes the experience significantly less enjoyable. I don't know about him, but once I've made a decision and I'm on vacation, I don't dwell on where I could have been but focus on where I am. A vacation is a vacation, and it's rather difficult to spoil.

This author could have presented valid points, but too often, his anecdotes made him sound like a confused and irritated aging man longing for the good old days. His examples and scenarios, such as choosing beans, buying jeans, or deciding on a vacation destination, were far from ideal, and he provided very little evidence to support his claim that choice is making us more miserable.

0 0 Reply

numbnutts12

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

July 14,2025

The Paradox of Choice is a 236-page treatise that delves into the reason why an excessive amount of choice can be debilitating. Its essence can be encapsulated in its sub-sub-title: "Why the Culture of Abundance Robs Us of Satisfaction." (Personally, why a book requires a sub-title beneath the sub-title escapes me.) The issue at hand is that we invest an inordinate amount of time and energy in attempting to make choices that, in the broader context, don't hold significant importance.

I concur with the overarching concept, yet I loathed the book, and here's the reason: Schwartz could have effectively conveyed his point in a concise three-page article. We don't necessitate 236 pages filled with examples to grasp the idea. Indeed, there is an abundance of choice, and we should allocate quality time to making the choices that truly matter, such as where to work and with whom to engage in a committed relationship, while spending less time fretting over which cereal to purchase.

So, you get the general idea. Make the right choice and leave this book sitting on the shelf.

0 0 Reply

Leave a Review

You must be logged in to rate and post a review. Register an account to get started.

The Paradox of Choice: Why More Is Less

barry schwartz

This edition

More editions

About the author

barry schwartz

Readers also enjoyed

Community Reviews