Barry Schwartz: The paradox of choice
Psychologist Barry Schwartz takes aim at a central belief of western societies: that freedom of choice leads to personal happiness. In Schwartz’s estimation, all that choice is making us miserable. We set unreasonably high expectations, question our choices before we even make them, and blame our failures entirely on ourselves. His relatable examples, from consumer products (jeans, TVs, salad dressings) to lifestyle choices (where to live, what job to take, whom and when to marry), underscore this central point: Too many choices undermine happiness.
(Considering I am currently struggling with the decision of what logo to chose for my swissmiss redesign, I can relate with his paralysis theory on a ‘design level’. And yes, I keep telling myself, it doesn’t matter. )
Why is he wearing shorts for a TED talk?
