![]() I had to mentally stop to put the organization of the work together in my head when a section header should have been an obvious part to help organize it. I often got distracted by the way the reader would just read what we're obviously section headers straight through and continue on to the text of the section. What was one of the most memorable moments of The Paradox of Choice? The second half was useful because it was expanded material built on the first half which was material I had already read in other works. ![]() ![]() What made the experience of listening to The Paradox of Choice the most enjoyable? The narration took away from the material for me. I read them and I end up feeling like I know a bit more about myself, and NOW I'm just disappointed in that bastard for a couple more rational reasons. They seem to span the fissure between academic and pop, between economics and self-help. I am both attracted and repelled by the form. They are all Gladwell-like in their reductionism (this is why they all sell so well to the business community and are pimped heavily by Forbes to TED). All interesting, all worth the time (as long as the time is < 5 hrs), but none of them are brilliant. This book belongs snug on the bookshelf next to: anything by Malcolm Gladwell, Freakonomics, Predictably Irrational, Nudge, Mistakes Were Made (But Not by Me), etc. We are surprised, we are also a little validated: just little bit of supply with a very light touch demand. Schwartz's summary is similar to a lot of those pop-economic books that seem to pop up regularly and sell quite well because they both tell us something we kinda already suspected, but also gently surprise us with counter-intuitive ideas at the same time. Schwartz also shows how our obsession with choice encourages us to seek that which makes us feel worse.Ī solid survey of behavioral economics literature related to the premise that the wide range of choices we have (what to read, how to read it, what rating to give it, where to post our review) actually ends up making us unhappier (tyranny of small decisions). In accessible, engaging, and anecdotal prose, Schwartz shows how the dramatic explosion in choice-from the mundane to the profound challenges of balancing career, family, and individual needs-has paradoxically become a problem instead of a solution. In The Paradox of Choice, Barry Schwartz explains at what point choice - the hallmark of individual freedom and self-determination that we so cherish - becomes detrimental to our psychological and emotional well-being. And, in a culture that tells us that there is no excuse for falling short of perfection when your options are limitless, too much choice can lead to clinical depression. In the long run, this can lead to decision-making paralysis, anxiety, and perpetual stress. But beware of excessive choice: choice overload can make you question the decisions you make before you even make them, it can set you up for unrealistically high expectations, and it can make you blame yourself for any and all failures. We assume that more choice means better options and greater satisfaction. Whether were buying a pair of jeans, ordering a cup of coffee, selecting a long-distance carrier, applying to college, choosing a doctor, or setting up a 401(k), everyday decisions - both big and small - have become increasingly complex due to the overwhelming abundance of choice with which we are presented. In the spirit of Alvin Tofflers' Future Shock, a social critique of our obsession with choice, and how it contributes to anxiety, dissatisfaction and regret.
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