Too much choice kills choice! With the overabundance of information and the multiplication of consumer products, the possibilities available to us are endless. We can choose everything: what we eat, what we wear, what we do in our free time, what we show about ourselves, etc. However, these actions require time and energy, and can even trigger anxiety.

Diversity can paralyze the decision-maker, as the situations they face often feel like dilemmas. This is known as the paradox of choice: a concept popularized by psychologist Barry Schwartz in his book “The Paradox of Choice.” In this book, he explains that the more options we have in front of us, the harder it becomes to decide. In this article, we offer to break down the consequences of this “paradox of choice” and share the best methods for making decisions easier.

———

The consequences of the paradox of choice

Difficulty choosing

The paradox of choice is a concept popularized in 2004 by psychologist Barry Schwartz in “The Paradox of Choice.” The author explains that the more options there are, the harder it is to choose. In his book, he cites the example of sauces on supermarket shelves. This situation can be a source of anxiety for the customer, who, feeling overwhelmed, may hesitate for a long time and finally decide based on the little information available (packaging, price, where the sauce is placed on the shelf, etc.). Here, this choice appears in a harmless situation, because if they do not pick the optimal product, the consequences will be minimal.

This “paradox of choice” becomes especially delicate when it concerns important life moments: buying a house, career direction, recruiting talent, budget allocation… So let us distinguish decisions with minor consequences (e.g., choosing today’s lunch, the socks we will wear…) from those with much greater stakes (e.g., choosing a job among several offers, choosing a future home to live in…).

Delayed decision-making

When we are faced with a range of possibilities, we try to understand those in front of us. Demanding as we are, we compare them and identify the one that seems to offer the greatest number of advantages. As a result, we take time to decide.

To illustrate delayed decision-making, let us take the example of Netflix, where, let’s admit it, we can spend many minutes choosing what to watch for the evening. A series, a movie, a documentary, etc.? A French, American, Spanish, Chinese production, etc.? A comedy, a drama, a thriller, a suspense, etc.? To speed up the decision, we sometimes look for proof of quality by watching trailers or reading user reviews. Despite our research, it happens that once the movie starts, we are not convinced and eventually stop watching to choose another one.

As soon as there are several of us in front of the screen, our decision-making takes longer, because we try to find common ground that suits everyone. If we relate this situation to Delegation Poker, we would say that card 4 “Agreement” from Delegation Poker is being used. However, agreeing on a solution can be particularly time-consuming. The risk is ending up with a compromise, a verdict that frustrates more than it satisfies.

Reduced satisfaction

When we finally make a choice among all available offers, we may regret our decision because we think about the missed options. This is the continuation of the “paradox of choice”: too much choice reduces our satisfaction.

You have done about fifteen interviews in 10 different companies. Good news: one of them made you an offer! Delighted, you accepted and stopped the recruitment process with the other 9 companies. However, at the beginning of your new job, you imagine what would have happened if you had continued the process with the other companies. Would the salary have been higher? Would living conditions have been better? Would the level of fatigue have been lower? You keep thinking about what you lost, which eats away at you and decreases your initial satisfaction.

So beyond paralysis, a wide variety of choices can bring out negative feelings in us and lead us to imagine better scenarios if our choice had been different. The comparison we make despite ourselves is not healthy. What if we looked at it from a new angle? In fact, comparison is beneficial because it helps us make better choices afterward.

A choice based on the information we know

To remove uncertainty and make a decision as quickly as possible, people rely on information within reach, on their beliefs, on their past experiences... They sometimes even take shortcuts so that elements make sense. Their decisions can be distorted; this is called cognitive bias.

We say there is a cognitive bias when we rely on limiting beliefs, on what seems logical to us but is not necessarily so, because we want to make a quick decision. “I imagine my new colleague Giovani has been to Rome several times. If I take him to an Italian restaurant, he can only be very happy.” His first name, although notably used in Italy, does not confirm that Giovani has been to Rome many times, nor that he wants to eat in an Italian restaurant.

Another example: At 25, you buy your first home and you do not know much about real estate investment. One of your friends of the same age bought one 3 years ago. You talk with him so he can guide and reassure you. Since everyone is different and every situation is unique, it is a personalized decision that should be made. Reproducing your friend’s same real estate buying pattern may help you, but it may not be the solution that suits you best.

What actions should be taken by the one offering choices?

1. Limit the number of choices

If you are the one offering choices to an audience, be sure to limit their number. This is not about being extreme by offering only one option, although that can be a differentiating factor, but rather about finding the right balance between too few and too many. One question then arises: from what point are the proposed alternatives considered numerous?

If we rely on psychologist George Miller’s reasoning, 7 items would be the number not to exceed for information to be retained by individuals. Creator of Miller’s law in 1956, he explained that any person is capable of memorizing 7 items. Once this number is exceeded, memorization becomes more difficult and thinking less fluid. What if we followed Miller’s recommendations by offering only up to 7 options? (And besides, 7 is a number that speaks to us at SEVEN!)

Sheena Iyengar and Mark Lepper, two psychologists behind *”When Choice is Demotivating: Can One Desire Too Much of a Good Thing?”* observed this effect in an experiment carried out in the 2000s. In a supermarket, consumers could stop at one stand presenting 6 different jars of jam and another offering 24. While the latter stand attracted more attention due to the breadth of its range (60% of consumers were drawn in versus 40% for the stand with 6 jams), buyers were rarer at the 24-option stand. In fact, 3% of people ended up buying, compared with 30% at the stand with 6 products. An experiment that confirms the “paradox of choice” and aligns with Miller’s law. By reducing the field of possibilities, you clarify your message to prospects. Conversely, it becomes diluted when possibilities are endless.

2. Reassure about the quality offered

Between a shoe website offering around a hundred different brands and another offering only one, the latter is more likely to attract you, because it reduces the selection steps and therefore facilitates your decision-making and purchase. “Fewer choices” can thus prove to be a decision facilitator.

It can also be reassuring in some cases. You hesitate between going to a restaurant whose menu includes a variety of dishes (pizzas, salads, pasta, burgers, traditional French dishes) and another that serves only pizzas. The probability that you prefer the single-dish restaurant will be higher, because this specialization will be, for you, a sign of expertise.

In other words: Lower quantity, highlight quality!

What actions should be taken by the one choosing?

1. Set rules for yourself

To continue with culinary examples: Are you hesitating among several dishes offered in a restaurant? You can define a criterion you commit to respecting: “I want at least one vegetable in my dish.” This rule will allow you to filter your choices, eliminate dishes that do not match your search criteria, reduce your list, and therefore speed up your ability to decide.

You want to improve your skills, but being curious, you are interested in a variety of training courses: negotiation, management, leadership, project management, written communication, Excel… Your manager asks you to select three for now. By identifying in advance the criteria that matter to you, you will reduce the available possibilities and refine your choices. If you think your organizational methods need to be revised, maybe you should choose time management training courses? These can give you ideas to become more efficient in daily life.

2. Visualize the result

Think about what you are going to gain, about the learnings that will emerge from your final choice. You are reviewing several job offers. Ask yourself what you will gain with each one. What kind of person will you become if you join each of these companies? Will you still have time to devote to your family? Will you be able to concentrate at work? Will you get along well with your colleagues? If you have already visited the offices, spoken with some of your future colleagues, and read reviews from former and current employees, you will imagine a scenario that comes closest to what you are likely to encounter. Your projections will allow you to keep the offer that seems to provide the most advantageous situation.

3. Accept letting an opportunity pass

We have often heard André Gide’s famous quote, “to choose is to renounce.” Why not refine it with “to choose is to accept renouncing”? Indeed, when you choose one path, you do not take the others. Were they better? Nothing is less certain! Deciding means letting an opportunity pass; it means fully living the JOMO (Joy of Missing Out), that is, the joy of missing out on something.

This lifestyle, created in opposition to FOMO (Fear of Missing Out), allows everyone to focus on themselves, live in the present moment, disconnect, and therefore engage in activities that bring them pleasure. This life philosophy actually invites us to follow our instinct.

Do you have to choose among several training courses? Something in you was triggered when you read “improvisation” among the list of sessions offered. Indeed, theater is an activity that has always intrigued you, but for which you have never taken the plunge. If a spark lit up when you discovered it, then perhaps you should prioritize improvisation unless your need for safety is stronger, in which case you will make other choices. What a difficult dilemma to be faced with between the choice of the heart and that of reason! Through this example, we do not recommend one over the other, but rather encourage you to align most of your choices with what you feel, with who you are.

4. Show courage

When you are faced with a delicate situation, whatever option is taken, there will be disappointments and/or losses. The simple act of sharing your choice becomes an act of courage. Communicating it to others can even be a form of courage.

You are a manager and do not support the new measures taken by the COMEX members. The selected strategic direction is the opposite of your values. What do you do? Do you stay in your role anyway and follow the trend? Do you ask to change position within the company? Do you say loudly what you think without considering the consequences of your words? Do you resign without having a backup? Do you continue your missions while looking in parallel to change companies? Do you launch your own jewelry shop? The possibilities are multiple and could extend even further.

On closer look, some decisions require more courage than others, especially those that lead toward the unknown, complete novelty: leaving your company without a plan B, launching into entrepreneurship, sharing your true thoughts.

———

In conclusion:

An espresso? a lungo? a decaf? a macchiato? a cappuccino? a latte? a flat white? with cow’s milk? oat milk? rice milk? coconut milk? almond milk? Just a simple coffee! A large number of choices can quickly be disorienting, because we feel like we cannot find what we are looking for. In some cases, an abundance of choices can even be a source of anxiety. This is called the paradox of choice. A principle that illustrates the negative consequences of too many options: delayed decisions, lack of action, dissatisfaction, regret over not having chosen something else. So how should we act when we want to encourage decision-making in others or when we ourselves are faced with more or less difficult choices?

If you are the one offering several choices, we first advise limiting them. Psychologist Miller established 7 as the maximum number of pieces of information not to be exceeded. Perhaps we could draw inspiration from that? In addition, you should reassure your audience. If you offer a single unique service while your competitors showcase a multitude, your simplicity and your ability not to spread yourself thin will be appreciated.

If you are the one facing several dilemmas, you could set rules you commit to respecting (e.g., I only want to eat dishes with vegetables, I want to work in a company that allows me to spend time with my children in the evening), imagine the results you could obtain based on your choices, accept missing out on opportunities, or show courage (in cases where your choice is hard to make or to share).

The way we look at our choices also influences our decision-making. In the end, might choosing be the symbol of freedom?