I think the world has a healthy infection of decision making
disorder!
Have you ever been behind that one guy at the Mexican
restaurant with a zillion and a half choices?
Yep, you know the one? It has 39
menu combinations and yet this afflicted fellow has to create his own. “Uh,
uh….can you do one enchilada but two tostados, no wait….can you switch out the
beans for more rice?” I think you know
exactly what I’m talking about. But
let’s explore at how this came to be.
Stop me right here if you believe I’m wrong or politely read
to the end and then make up your mind. I
think that too many choices are causing America this angst. I’m reading a book called the
Paradox of Choice that lays it out pretty well. Author Barry Schwartz says that our nation’s
or really the world’s obsession with choices makes us really very un-happy and
dissatisfied.
Consider what the following excerpt from Amazon’s review of
Schwartz’s book shows us.
“Whether we’re buying a pair of jeans, selecting a
long-distance carrier, choosing a doctor, or setting up a 401(k), everyday
decisions—from the mundane to the profound challenges of balancing career,
family, and individual needs—have become increasingly complex due to the
overwhelming abundance of choice with which we are presented. We assume that
more choice means better options and greater satisfaction. But beware of choice
overload: it 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 Paradox of Choice,
Barry Schwartz explains why too much of a good thing has proven detrimental to
our psychological and emotional well-being. Synthesizing current research in
the social sciences, he makes the counterintuitive case that eliminating
choices can greatly reduce the stress, anxiety, and busyness of our lives. In
accessible, engaging, and anecdotal prose, he offers practical steps for how to
limit choices to a manageable number, have the discipline to focus on the
important ones and ignore the rest, and, ultimately, derive greater
satisfaction from the choices you do make.” (amazon.com)
So you see, we are afflicted because it’s just too
much! I remember an example from a
Psychology class I took at Oklahoma State saying that many people continue to
shop for something after they’ve already bought it. Yes, that car you just drove home isn’t satisfying
enough so you continue to look at car prices and cars. It’s that whole “Oh, did I buy the right one?”
feeling and it’s devastatingly tiring.
Most people who do this aren’t even aware they are engaging in the practice.
Tonight while killing a little time on line something else
jumped out at me. There’s a site that
offers any kind of quiz possible out there.
They’re short and mindless.
Seriously though some of the titles to the quizzes, “When do you Shine?
Are you a Puppy or kitten? What do people love about you? Are you the moon or
the sun? What do you crave in your life?”
It’s pretty apparent that many folk out there want to take an
interactive test or quiz and have someone else decide for them what to do, or
how to be or whatever. So I fell into it, I caved and I took a
couple. They told me that I was an
energetic, bull-headed, out-going, opinionated, fun, creative redneck….or was
that redhead?
The bottom line is we need to get back to learning how to do
things for ourselves. We need to take
back some independence that teaches us how to make decisions. If I could suggest a class in college or high
school or that matter, it would be “How to make up your own damn mind, 101!
Make the choice already!”
Decision making disorder affects millions of Americans. Stand up.
Check out that menu and boldly shout, “I’ll take the number 8 combo
please!” Bring awareness to this problem by politely reminding people that
usually your first impulse decision is the one you would make with your heart
and it’s probably the best one. Or keep
quiet about it as you make the decision not to say anything.
I will say that since we’ve moved to a rural community with
one small locally owned grocer and one discount chain dollar store, decisions
have been easier. There are fewer
choices. I’m not sure that is a bad
thing as I’ve regained a lot of time and felt a lot calmer. I think it’s important to recognize what
Schwartz mentioned in his book, that more is actually less in terms of our
happiness and well-being.
~To a happy tomorrow making good, sound and swift decisions,
Anne Boswell Taylor
