too many choices

[firecat]

If you go to http://www.authentichappiness.org/ you may think it looks a bit like a new-age woo-woo cult. But it's not. It has Martin Seligman behind it. He's been a stellar researcher on mood, happiness, optimism, depression, and so on for decades.

Their latest newsletter transcribes a commencement address given by Barry Schwartz, the author of "The Paradox of Choice," to a Swarthmore College graduating class. His thesis is that "we" (by which he means well-off Westerners) have too many choices, and the way we handle this problem can make a huge difference in our contentment with life.

It's long, but well worth skimming.

http://www.authentichappiness.org/news/news9.html

Comments

[pyrzqxgl.livejournal.com]

I have some friends who get "too many choices paralysis" when walking into the hardware store and so on, but as a vegetarian who is pretty much not a "one size fits all" person in any other way either, hell, there will *never* be too many choices on the menu for me. So the more the merrier! If you're of a mindset that enjoys these types of research and decision-making, then do it, and if you're of a mindset that doesn't enjoy it, then don't.

[rmjwell.livejournal.com]

What a lovey article/address.

May I have your permission to reprint your introductory notes in my LJ? I want to link to it, and your preamble is quite useful for framing things.

[firecat]

sure!

[dawnd.livejournal.com]

Thanks for posting this. I suspect it will continue to be of contribution to my life.