The Paradox of Choice

The Official Dogma of the Western World is completely true. America really does buy into the idea that in order to maximize American citizens’ welfare, we must maximize freedom by maximizing choice. Schwartz described a shopping trip in which he was looking for a new pair of jeans. I recently experienced something similar. I walked into Express and came across their three “fits”: Stella, Eva, and Mia. There were also a myriad of styles, ranging from Skinny Leg to Fit & Flare. Did I mention all of these styles came in cropped versions? Needless to say, I was overwhelmed, especially since the jeans I had previously purchased were the Zelda fit, which had been discontinued.

Personalization has become a huge part of the market; many consumers today are willing to spend significantly larger amounts of money and time on products that were, in essence, created by them and for them. Before, it was cool to have what everybody else had, whether it was a pair of Doc Martens or a Coach over the shoulder purse. Now, it’s cool to have something that no one else has.

Companies are capitalizing on this trend, often focusing on segments that are easily influenced, teens. Neutrogena recently launched SkinID, a website that asks a series of twenty questions that evaluate your skin type, current skin routine, and lifestyle. At the end of the evaluation, SkinID recommends a bundle of three products that best fit your needs. For example, my SkinID is 7, 40, 32, so I should purchase the corresponding cream cleanser mask, toner, and anti-acne treatment. NikeID is a similar program in which customers can basically build their own sneaker.

Despite the appeal of personalization, Schwartz argues that there is an inverse relationship between the number of available options and participation. Since we no longer rely on experts to make the choices for us, the shift of burden becomes more evident. We realize the potential consequences of a bad decision, which can lead to paralysis. I have definitely noticed this behavior in myself. Overall, I am an indecisive person. But in the past few years, I have become more analytical than ever before, struggling to make even simple decisions. I don’t even have “gut feelings” anymore. When faced with a decision, my mind becomes a blank. Then, anxiety kicks in. Even after carefully weighing my options and making an informed decision, I often feel uncomfortably unfulfilled, constantly wondering whether I made the right choice. It’s definitely true that that the more options they are, the higher our expectations become, thus increasing our chances of being disappointed.

The Austin City Limits Music Festival is known around the country as one of the biggest and best summer musical festivals nationwide. As a devoted fan of music, ACL weekend is the highlight of my year. However, this past year, I suffered from what I now know to be the paradox of choice. On September 26, I arrived at Zilker Park, schedule in hand. I had a list of “must-see” bands, but other than that, I was open to anything and everything. On the second day of the festival, I wanted to see five or six bands that were all playing within a two hour period…on different stages, of course. I knew there was no way that I could see all of the shows in their entirety. But instead of choosing one or two that I could thoroughly enjoy from a decent spot, I decided to go to 15-20 minutes of each set, traipsing all over Zilker Park. Afterward, I was sweaty, grumpy, and in complete regret. If only I had been given less options…

But who was to blame? Surely not the festival organizers. All they did was bring in 120 of the most talked about bands of the year for the masses to enjoy. Would I have been happier if there was only one stage and twenty bands on the entire ACL lineup? Of course not. I had no one to blame but myself. After all, I was the decision maker. I could have done better. Oh, the paradox of choice…