The paradox of choice
Subtitle: why more is less
By: Barry Schwartz
Edition: Revised edition.
Publisher: Ecco
Published: 2016
Language: eng
Number of pages: 273
ISBN-13: 9780062449924
Subjects: Choice (Psychology); Decision making
Description: "Whether we're 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. As Americans, we assume that more choice means better options and greater satisfaction. 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. In the long run, this can lead to decision-making paralysis, anxiety, and perpetual stress. 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 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. 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. Schwartz also shows how our obsession with choice encourages us to seek that which makes us feel worse. By synthesizing current research in the social sciences, Schwartz makes the counter intuitive case that eliminating choices can greatly reduce the stress, anxiety, and busyness of our lives. He offers eleven practical steps on how to limit choices to a manageable number, have the discipline to focus on those that are important and ignore the rest, and ultimately derive greater satisfaction from the choices you have to make."--provided by publisher.
Notes: "Revised and updated, with a new preface by the author"--Cover.

Previous edition: 2004.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 239-264) and index.
Table of contents: title: Prologue : The paradox of choice : a road map -- -- pt. 1.; title: When we choose -- -- ch. 1.; title: Let's go shopping -- -- ch. 2.; title: New choices -- -- pt. 2.; title: How we choose -- -- ch. 3.; title: Deciding and choosing -- -- ch. 4.; title: When only the best will do -- -- pt. 3.; title: Why we suffer -- -- ch. 5.; title: Choice and happiness -- -- ch 6.; title: Missed opportunities -- -- ch. 7.; title: "If only..." : the problem of regret -- -- ch. 8.; title: Why decisions disappoint : the problem of adaptation -- -- ch. 9.; title: Why everything suffers from comparison -- -- ch. 10.; title: Whose fault is it? : choice, disappointment, and depression -- -- pt. 4.; title: What we can do -- -- ch. 11.; title: What to do about choice --; title: Notes --; title: Index.