I am always amazed, when I eat at the cheesecake factory, by the size of their menu. Instead of feeling thrilled with all of the choices I, instead, always order the same thing so I don't have to go through the approximately thirty pages of the menu and look at the choices.
A friend wanted to change the surface of her outdoor patio. There were so many options, in shape, size, texture, material, and price, that instead of picking one and having the patio redone, she couldn't decide and a year later, the dozen or so samples were still heaped in a pile on her unrenovated patio. She couldn't choose because the pressure was too great. It had to be the perfect choice or else she would be disappointed.
If you haven't listened to TED lectures, look them up. They are a wealth of information on "ideas worth spreading." The following one is by Barry Schwartz.
http://www.ted.com/talks/barry_schwartz_on_the_paradox_of_choice.html
He tells us that, "too much choice causes paralysis." Why?
1) "With so many options people find it difficult to choose at all."
2) "We become less satisfied with our choice."
When we have unlimited options available to us our expectations of what we will receive sky rockets. When we don't get what we expected, because how can we that would be perfection, we become dissatisfied.
Dashed expectations are contributory to the explosion in clinical depression and suicide. Depression and suicide was the highest among the 45-54 year old range during 2006-2007. The once happy baby-boomers were no longer happy, why? Because according to Richard Croker, author of The Boomer Century, 1946-2046: How America's Most Influential Generation Changed Everything, "We started accumulating wealth and began focusing on providing for ourselves and our families. That's what we did and now, we're beginning to look around. What's it all about? Many of us are divorced. Our families are spread to the seven winds. We're disappointed."
We're disappointed. We have what we want, choice, freedom to make that choice, and the money to provide the choice, yet we don't get what we want, because we expect it to be perfect and nothing can be perfect.
"The secret to happiness . . ." according to Barry Schwartz, ". . . low expectations."
So keep your expectations low and just make a random choice. It's okay, if you don't like it there is always another one.
A friend wanted to change the surface of her outdoor patio. There were so many options, in shape, size, texture, material, and price, that instead of picking one and having the patio redone, she couldn't decide and a year later, the dozen or so samples were still heaped in a pile on her unrenovated patio. She couldn't choose because the pressure was too great. It had to be the perfect choice or else she would be disappointed.
If you haven't listened to TED lectures, look them up. They are a wealth of information on "ideas worth spreading." The following one is by Barry Schwartz.
http://www.ted.com/talks/barry_schwartz_on_the_paradox_of_choice.html
He tells us that, "too much choice causes paralysis." Why?
1) "With so many options people find it difficult to choose at all."
2) "We become less satisfied with our choice."
When we have unlimited options available to us our expectations of what we will receive sky rockets. When we don't get what we expected, because how can we that would be perfection, we become dissatisfied.
Dashed expectations are contributory to the explosion in clinical depression and suicide. Depression and suicide was the highest among the 45-54 year old range during 2006-2007. The once happy baby-boomers were no longer happy, why? Because according to Richard Croker, author of The Boomer Century, 1946-2046: How America's Most Influential Generation Changed Everything, "We started accumulating wealth and began focusing on providing for ourselves and our families. That's what we did and now, we're beginning to look around. What's it all about? Many of us are divorced. Our families are spread to the seven winds. We're disappointed."
We're disappointed. We have what we want, choice, freedom to make that choice, and the money to provide the choice, yet we don't get what we want, because we expect it to be perfect and nothing can be perfect.
"The secret to happiness . . ." according to Barry Schwartz, ". . . low expectations."
So keep your expectations low and just make a random choice. It's okay, if you don't like it there is always another one.
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