Choice also saps our free time and energy.

Schwartz argues that too many options cause anxiety and depression, because choice can inhibit freedom. However, we need to direct our own lives and realize that while some choice is good, this doesn't mean that more choice is necessarily better.

There's no doubt that choice improves the quality of life, and is essential to autonomy. We'll briefly begin by scaffolding the vast arena of daily decisions that we're faced with. At this point, choice no longer liberates, but debilitates. However, there's a limit, and he further argues that 'as the number of choices keeps growing, negative aspects of having a multitude of options begin to appear.' What's more, 'as the number of choices grows further, the negatives escalate until we become overloaded. Schwartz argues that 'When people have no choice, life is almost unbearable,' but growing consumer culture and more variety has had a powerful and positive effect. In The Paradox of Choice, he delves into decision-making, and how we're skirting a fine line between autonomy and freedom, and being utterly overwhelmed. By drawing on research from psychologists, economists, market researchers, and scientists, decision-making and the flaws in conventional wisdom are explored.īarry Schwartz is an American psychologist and professor, who's written extensively on social theory and behavioral science. It highlights making good choices about the things that matter, and ignoring things that don't matter. The Paradox of Choice provides tips on taking control of choices. This so-called freedom, has trapped us in an illusion of infinite possibilities, and this limitless possibility is what's causing us so much stress and anxiety. The anxiety of our age can largely be attributed to how many choices we're offered, under the guise of freedom.

In the words of Forest Gump, 'Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're going to get.' While there's some element of excitement in the unknown and being able to choose from a myriad of possibilities, Barry Schwartz explains that options and choices have got entirely out of control.

Schwartz the paradox of choice