The Paradox of Choice

Hi.  A friend shared this link to a lecture with me.  It's all about how we assume, in our capitalistic and industrialized world, that more choice is a good thing, always.  This psychologist, Barry Schwartz, talks about how too much choice often stymies us, wastes our time on non-essential thought, and makes us less happy. 

I really liked this.  It has me thinking about all of the times I've been lost wandering the aisles of a store because I'm overwhelmed and can't decide what to buy.  Which facial moisturizer, which jeans, which salad dressing, which paint, which wallpaper, which couch?  We are influenced by advertising to think that we can express ourselves by our clothes, our hairstyles, our home decor.  It all boils down to wasting too much time thinking and laboring over things that really don't matter much. 

Wouldn't we be happier with fewer choices?

http://www.ted.com/talks/barry_schwartz_on_the_paradox_of_choice.html?quote=132