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The Paradox of Choice
The Paradox of Choice | Barry Schwartz
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 decisionsboth big and smallhave 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 choicethe hallmark of individual freedom and self-determination that we so cherishbecomes detrimental to our psychological and emotional well-being. In accessible, engaging, and anecdotal prose, Schwartz shows how the dramatic explosion in choicefrom the mundane to the profound challenges of balancing career, family, and individual needshas 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.
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ONH
The Paradox of Choice | Barry Schwartz
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Plenty of interesting psychology in this book— helped me understand my own decision processes more. I think I‘ll come back to this book in a few years when I‘m making my next big round of life decisions.

“Autonomy” is SUCH a buzzword in medicine right now—Schwartz offered a different take, that more autonomy does not lead to more happiness.

Also enjoyed his explanations of satisfizers vs. maximizes, of sunk cost fallacy, and opportunity cost.

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TK-421
The Paradox of Choice | Barry Schwartz
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“As the number of choices grows further, the negatives escalate until we become overloaded. At this point, choice no longer liberates, but debilitates.” #overload #QuotsyOct20

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BookishMe
The Paradox of Choice | Barry Schwartz
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#whichOneWednesday

📙 Paperback (I am slowly getting accustomed to audiobooks but still need print to catch up)

📙 Mystery

📙 I drink tea more often, but love to indulge in hot chocolate when I can

(Need to isolate myself from all the dreary news! It's crippling me and I can't even turn to my ebooks as usual ;(( thank goodness for paperbacks that briefly comfort me)

LiteraryinPA I‘m feeling similar right now. Hang in there! 💜💜💜 5y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Sending lots of love! I‘m having difficulty reading too.. my mind is spinning! 5y
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TReads I'm so with you on this, Santhi. ❤️ I've watched more political addresses in the last 72 hours than I have in my entire life, and my head and heart are so fried that I'm lucky if a I can get through a sentence without spiralling off in another direction. And yet there's nothing I'd love more than to find comfort in the pages of a book. 😶 Wishing you peace amidst all this uncertainty. 🙏📚🙏 (edited) 5y
batsy I'm feeling the same and hope we all get some peace of mind 💜 5y
BookishMe @batsy anxiety peaked when the announcement was made about suspending commute across the causeway. Not affected but it feels so wrong! I understand so 5y
BookishMe @batsy *spread has to be stemmed. But have a PLAN! supply shortage didn't bother me as much as knowing livelihoods are affected. Images of crowded causeway - they deserved better, not put in a 'refugee-like' situation. Peace of mind is so critical now. Irresponsible attitude and inefficient authorities worry me more than the virus ;(( 5y
BookishMe @TReads oh my... I wouldn't be able to bear such intense burden without momentary insanity. Please take care of yourself too 💞💞 thanks so much for your kind wishes 5y
TReads @BookishMe Thank you, Santhi. Things have gotten a little easier now that I've been given permission to work from home. Scrolling Litsy has also been a big help. ☺️ (edited) 5y
batsy @BookishMe I hear you and totally agree. Our present government was fine with coming of out nowhere and stealing power, now their utter ineptness while we're in this crisis gives me chills. 5y
BookishMe @batsy all of you deserve better... May these troubled days end soon 💞💞 5y
43 likes11 comments
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KristenDuck
The Paradox of Choice | Barry Schwartz
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Happy Hump Day!

1. I have developed an appreciation for audiobooks, but will always prefer paperback

2. A solid mystery is best

3. Hot tea any day of the year!

#whichonewednesday

Please copy and paste to play along!

katy4peas I'm with you on every answer!! 😁 😁 5y
KristenDuck @katy4peas great minds think alike ! 5y
katy4peas 😁 5y
TheHungryBookworms Paperback, mystery, hotcocoa 5y
55 likes4 comments
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Sace
The Paradox of Choice | Barry Schwartz
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NFNov #FOMO #WeeklyForecast and a post from @ljuliel about Kindle Unlimited and other sources for books have me wondering if I should try this one again.

rsteve388 1 pt. 5y
rsteve388 Have you signed up I don't see you in my spreadsheet? 5y
Sace @rsteve388 no. I've just been following. I can remove the hashtag. 5y
64 likes1 stack add4 comments
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LaureAnne
The Paradox of Choice | Barry Schwartz

Brown

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TK421
The Paradox of Choice | Barry Schwartz
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This was difficult, but I think this list somewhat accurately defines my literary taste. Thanks for starting this @britt_brooke !

1. J. R. R. Tolkien
2. Kathleen O'Neal Gear
3. Jasper Fforde
4. Sherrilyn Kenyon
5. Jonathon Hickman

britt_brooke Nice list! I first saw this topic on fb c/o The Fussy Librarian and thought it would be fun to see Littens‘ answers. 😁 6y
Cathythoughts Tolkien ♥️♥️♥️. One of my faves too ! Great list 6y
64 likes2 comments
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Foxnorth
The Paradox of Choice | Barry Schwartz
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Who but a professor doing research would even stop to consider that there are almost 300 different cookie options to choose among?

Richryan52 I write Sherlock Holmes pastiches 7y
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Sace
The Paradox of Choice | Barry Schwartz
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#humpdaypost @MinDea

1. Random picture from the internet that I downloaded a few years ago. I've used it as my Halloween/Día de los muertos screensaver ever since.
2. Nickel and Dime and The Count of Monte Cristo (I've been remiss in my #monthofmontecristo duties)
3. Any kind of chocolate will do, but I do enjoy milk and white the most.
4. Sulfa drugs
5.The tagged book has a yellow cover.

kspenmoll Great photo! 7y
Sace @kspenmoll I wish I could take credit for it! 😂 7y
105 likes2 comments
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PatienceFortitude
The Paradox of Choice | Barry Schwartz
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My two insane towers of books from #BEA17. Deciding what to read next is so hard! #bookwormproblems

BookishMarginalia Looks fab! A true embarrassment of riches! Enjoy! 7y
MrBook #NiceStack!!! #Jenga You got a lot of different books from me 😁👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻. 7y
PatienceFortitude Not pictured: library books that are coming due soon. Better tackle those! 7y
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PatienceFortitude @MrBook Are you going to post your top picks from your Expo/Con haul? I'm curious 7y
MrBook Absolutely! Have to get them home first 😂👏🏻🙌🏻 7y
Chelsey What a haul!! 7y
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Sace
The Paradox of Choice | Barry Schwartz
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#onthenightstand #aprilbookshowers @RealLifeReading. #crapphotographer

Technically the nightstand and a table for the overflow. (Yes. I do have two copies of Villette. No I don't know why.)

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SarahSDavis
The Paradox of Choice | Barry Schwartz
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So last night when I couldn't sleep I redid the bookshelf in the living room and filled it with my current top TBRs. I'm trying to read more than one book at a time. Where would you start? 📚🤔 (PS: I just discovered stickers! 😱🎉💃)

BookBabe 😁🙌🏻 8y
Weaponxgirl I like to read a fiction and nonfiction at the same time at the very least. And then I often have something on the go in each format of book. Audio, overdrive on phone, print book from library and something on my kindle in case of having to read in the dark (I work nights). 8y
9 likes2 comments
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anneofgreentables
The Paradox of Choice | Barry Schwartz

That moment when you wish you didn't have a phone so you could be less distracted and read more books, but if you didn't have a phone, then you also wouldn't have Litsy.

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