We’re Drowning in Choices and It’s Killing Our Productivity

How to avoid overwhelming options from shortcircuiting our brains.

Photo by Godisable Jacob from Pexels

It’s 2019 and we have options for every single facet of our lives. We have more choices than ever before in recorded human history.

From the shows we watch, to the food we eat, to the friends we make, to the partners we choose, we have more access to options than people could have thought feasible even twenty years ago.

Here’s an interesting conundrum: logic tells us that the more options we have, the more likely we are to reach that perfect, idealized life where we’ve customized every aspect of our existence to suit us perfectly.

“It is another truism, in the developed, Western world, that more freedom brings more wellbeing, and that more choice brings more freedom.” — Barry Schwartz, psychologist and professor of social theory

But we’re not logical beings. Human brains are not perfect reasoning machines who can input unlimited amounts of data, and output the perfect answer. In reality, too much choice has been demonstrated to reduce our happiness, increase our stress, and, in economic terms, reduce revenue from customers overwhelmed with options.

Why does having more choices affect us this way? And what can we do to minimize the effects?

Why do more choices make us less happy?

Let me walk you through my latest trip to the supermarket to illustrate why more choices make us less happy. I was there because I wanted to buy some chocolate. Not just any chocolate — I was in the mood for chocolate with rum and raisins in it, that costs under a certain amount.

I went to the supermarket and I was still presented with a dizzying array of chocolate choices that met my criteria, even as narrowed down as it was. I spent ten minutes staring at my options, trying to find the best one.

Finally, I grabbed one at random and left. At home, I unwrapped it excitedly, only to be disappointed — the rum overpowered the raisins. Maybe I should have gone…