“The Paradox of Choice”, or…
The popular book bearing this name written by Barry Schwartz starts with this assertion:
We assume that more choices means better options and greater satisfactions…
and goes on to “prove” that the opposite is the case. The fewer choices makes life more simple, and by extension of his logic, happier life.
After watching the charming presentation of Mr. Schwartz at TED, I only can wish him to test his assumptions and research findings in environment of Soviet Union, where I grew up. Since I don’t know Barry personally, it is hard for me to judge if his believes are result of intellectual laziness, politically motivated dishonesty, or just a financial interest in marketing provocative book.
I do not debate the point that too many products and choices lead to confusion and confusion leads to unhappiness. I would like to suppose that what the book sites as too many choices, in fact amounts to very few ones. That most choices we are facing are not choices at all, but the same stuff in different packaging to create an illusion of choice. The examples are many and range from tires manufactured by the same company from the same materials on the same production lines under different brand names and sold for different prices, to political parties that pursue the same policies but differentiate by ideological rhetoric.
The reason they do this is very simple – the cost of real choice is much higher than the cost of fooling us into believing that we have something to choose from. The investment into innovation and creativity is much riskier than the cost of packaging and “flag waving”. That is why you get “new and improved” labels on the same products every few months, and go to voting polls to elect the same “Change” and “Hope” every few years. As my friend and mentor used to say – “Shit is the same, just flies are changing”.
So what to do? Well, that is a beauty of choice:
a. Join Barry and decide to get confused with with “too many choices”. Stop the angst of decision making and simplify your life by rejecting evil consumption. Let me know if that makes you happier.
b. Don’t get mesmerized by empty labels and promises. Educated, intelligent consumer (and citizen) has very clear vision of what they want and what they will not tolerate. It does require investment in time, but it gets easier with plentiful access to unrestricted information (that does not include useless package labels legislated to educate you), therefore you will choose not to consume as much, but be happier with what you choose to consume.
c. Grab the first piece of crap you can afford and be happy with your choice.
d…. There are million of fabulous choices I can sell you for a fantastic, everyday price, that absolutely guarantee to make you happy.
Let’s keep them honest and accountable, btw that include the book and blog writers.
A blog about experiences, curiosity and the never-ending search for ways to do better things better
I am always amazed to see the seduction that any lieu common exercises on certain people and the agility they show to surf on any old and …surely enough !!!! indisputable « truth »
In this given case …once again the idea is simple, clear and practical : let’s hide our consumer’s responsibility under the rug and blame strong and high merchants, industry and generally somebody else for “ multiple” and “excessive” choices trey offer.
For centuries, merchants are doing just what they are supposed to do : elaborate new, inventive, creative and of course ! improved ways to create needs in order to sell stuff. They just do their job.
Cars, cottage cheeses, margarine and butter with 27,5 different wrappings, 600 TV channels , refrigerators with 12 different temperature zones ….. poor marketing people really don’t know what to do to make us buy . Why are they so persistent ? Many reasons …. I will just take one of them – the biggest in my sense. . By strict opposition with wide public opinion, I believe that we, as consumers, are in total control of their life and survival. If one day, becoming wise and literate consumers….we decide not to buy all kinds of useless, dangerous and stupid products … we actually could realize and measure the power of our decisions on the planet, environment and our wallets.
As long as we will continue to blame others for our irresponsibility, nothing will change.
For starters …next time you are about to regurgitate one of 2,868 stupid TV programs …. rather that blame the TV industry for absolute emptiness of it’s content … Just remember …. somewhere at the front or on the side of Your huge, flat, amazing, state of the art TV set … there is a magic, tiny button : it is written On /Off …! Use it !