The Paradox of Choice

I really enjoyed listening to Barry's podcast and I agree with his paradox of choice. There are definitely advantages to having options. Everyone wants something different. Companies/ brands can't expect their consumers to only like one thing. No one wants to be forced to buy something just because it's the only thing available. People want to stand out, and having choices allows you to do just that. At the same time, however, we are now forced to pick one thing out of hundreds or thousands of options. A quite daunting task, to say the least. The goal of marketing is to satisfy your customer, but I don't even remember the last time I was satisfied after choosing one item out of millions. My most rewarding decisions are at places where I only have three or four choices. Making decisions is empowering, when you make the right one.

As consumers, we have the responsibility to make informed decisions. So, theoretically, buying stuff should make you smarter if the intent is to educate yourself before or during a purchase. This is not the case for me. I can honestly say that being faced with millions of choices makes me dumber. Let me explain. When I look at a grocery isle or a menu and try to pick something out, I don't think rationally or logically. I stare blankly and go with my gut instinct. I can't give you a reason as to why I picked what I picked. Granted, I stress over what I pick out, so it may seem as if I'm using my brain and analyzing my future purchases. Like Barry mentioned, I get paralysis, but I also stop thinking. My mind goes completely numb and refuses to function. You may think this isn't a big deal, but when you're faced with decision upon decision day after day, these brain lapses add up. The more I choose an item without logic, the more I feel like this action is a good strategy and can be warranted for other non-purchasing decision. Not choosing an item for a purpose or logical reason begins to make sense to me. It's easy. I begin believing that it's a good idea not to think about the why and just act.

Here's an example of what I mean, just in case I don't make sense (because I rarely do). My father asked me to read about a new war memorial and give him my opinion. The war memorial in question was recently dedicated to a group of men who were forced to participate in World War II. Instead of fighting, these men essentially became cowards. They deserted their country during a German invasion. My father was outraged that the men were allowed to receive a war memorial in their honor. I disagreed. When I was asked why, I couldn't answer. I felt like these men should still be remembered, but I didn't know why! I just felt like they should. That was not a good enough reason for my father. He had been listening to my poorly constructed arguments for a while, and realized that I felt too much and thought too little. After I finished reading Atlas Shrugged over the break, Aynn Rand confirmed his realization. Now, I'm not blaming the glut of consumer choices for my lack of reasoning skills. I'm merely stating that having choices made me rationalize the "gut instinct" answer.

Almost every time I go shopping or dine out, I have an anxiety attack deciding what I want to buy or eat. Example: grocery shopping last night. My sister and I stared at the wall of granola bars for about three minutes before we decided upon the same Special K bars we always get. Even after we chose Special K bars, we were faced with another decision. What flavor? We picked the single pack of blueberry instead of the vanilla, chocolate, blueberry tri pack. This morning, I'm craving a vanilla Special K bar. Example: shopping at Urban Outfitters last week. I walked into a store full of opportunities. Half an hour later, I walked out with nothing because I was too stressed out to try anything on. Two hours later, I regretted not buying those jeans. Example: eating lunch at Blue Dahlia today. I could have breakfast or lunch. I want pancakes. They don't offer pancakes. Now I'm back at square one. I settle on a shrimp sandwich. As the waitress walks away, I wish I had ordered the Belgian waffles instead. Example: any beer garden I walk into. I don't know what to get, at all, ever. I order what my friend orders. I hate it because it's not as good as my other friend's drink. I regret almost every choice I make. As a consumer, I want to be happy with my purchase, not wondering what the Belgian waffles tasted like or jealous of a different flavored beer.

I only feel truly happy about my decisions when I go to a place with very little choice. Example: Five Guys Burgers and Fries. They have about four things on their menu. I feel bloated when I leave, but boy, am I satisfied.

I understand that companies are not bombarding consumers with choices to make them feel unhappy. I do not think they have ill intentions. This is merely another paradox of choice. Companies want to enable their customers by providing thousands of choices, but consumers inevitably end up dissapointed.