The paradox of choice

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There's an all you can eat buffet with all the flavours of the world, you can have whatever you want. This is going to be amazing! You love lasagna, but look at those fajitas. You go for the fajitas, but then your friend arrives with sushi which looks even better. Why didn't you get that?? You always screw up...

Barry Schwartz studied how more choice not only doesn't always help us choose better, but can also make us feel worse about what we got even if it was great. Reduced satisfaction arises from:

The escalation of expectations
The opportunity cost of what we could have had and what was good about other options
Regret and anticipated regret of the choice we made
Self-blame when we think we are responsible for not doing as well as we could have

For an entertaining and educational 20 mins watch Barry Schwartz' TED talk on the paradox of choice .

Published 6 Dec 2020

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The Diderot effect describes how new purchases can lead to a negative spiral of replacing possessions that no longer live up to the new standard. In a capitalist or consumerist society, it highlights the dangers of material possessions on ourselves and our finances. "Regrets on Parting with My Old Dressing Gown." The effect is named after 18th-century French philosopher Denis Diderot, who wrote the entertaining and unusually-titled essay "Regrets on Parting with My Old Dressing Gown." In the essay, Diderot relates how his possessions no longer seemed up to scratch after being given a flashy new scarlet dressing gown. Seeing this, he replaced his old straw chair with a leather one, a plank bookshelf with an inlaid armoire, a clay statue with a bronze statue, and so on. In the process, he emptied his carefully earned savings. His tale is an example of the Diderot Effect in action. What's more, Diderot complains that whereas he was the master of his old dressing gown, he became a servant to the new one, needing to guard it from his clumsiness, spills, or burns. Our possessions can begin to control us rather than us control them. New and Old Identities More generally, the effect also highlights that we surround ourselves with objects that fit our sense of identity. When we receive something that reflects a new, aspirational identity, rather than rejecting the new thing, we may find ourselves replacing our old objects and selves to fit the new. Sometimes, we may be excited about embracing a new identity. Clearing out items reflecting our old selves may be a blessing and reflect aspects of our lives we wish to leave behind. Yet it perhaps pays to consider whether it's driven by the products or ourselves—whether we're still the masters or whether they are. As I learned from Dev Patnaik, products are created by culture and create culture. Examples of the Diderot Effect Here are some examples of the Diderot Effect in action that I could relate to: Denis Diderot gradually replacing his possessions with fancier more expensive ones and becoming poor as a result. Replacing my hastily bought student furniture with smarter furniture for our own home. Adding a new smart painting to a wall causing you to take down your old music posters. A new pair of shoes causing me to reconsider the whole outfit. Notes Cultural anthropologist Grant McCracken introduced the Diderot Effect, which I learned about from James Clear's Atomic Habits. As I learned from Seth Godin's Akimbo podcast episode — The Deletionists, Diderot also played a key role in the development of the encyclopedia. The Diderot Effect appears in my book Big Ideas Little Pictures. Here's a translation of Denis Diderot's essay "Regrets for my Old Dressing Gown, or A warning to those who have more taste than fortune" Related Ideas The paradox of choice The Streisand effect Front stage, back stage The Paradise Paradox Sharpen the saw Enough molehillls make a mountain Implementation intentions…The Diderot effect describes how new purchases can lead to a negative spiral of replacing possessions that no longer live up to the new standard. In a capitalist or consumerist society, it highlights the dangers of material possessions on ourselves and our finances. "Regrets on Parting with My Old Dressing Gown." The effect is named after 18th-century French philosopher Denis Diderot, who wrote the entertaining and unusually-titled essay "Regrets on Parting with My Old Dressing Gown." In the essay, Diderot relates how his possessions no longer seemed up to scratch after being given a flashy new scarlet dressing gown. Seeing this, he replaced his old straw chair with a leather one, a plank bookshelf with an inlaid armoire, a clay statue with a bronze statue, and so on. In the process, he emptied his carefully earned savings. His tale is an example of the Diderot Effect in action. What's more, Diderot complains that whereas he was the master of his old dressing gown, he became a servant to the new one, needing to guard it from his clumsiness, spills, or burns. Our possessions can begin to control us rather than us control them. New and Old Identities More generally, the effect also highlights that we surround ourselves with objects that fit our sense of identity. When we receive something that reflects a new, aspirational identity, rather than rejecting the new thing, we may find ourselves replacing our old objects and selves to fit the new. Sometimes, we may be excited about embracing a new identity. Clearing out items reflecting our old selves may be a blessing and reflect aspects of our lives we wish to leave behind. Yet it perhaps pays to consider whether it's driven by the products or ourselves—whether we're still the masters or whether they are. As I learned from Dev Patnaik, products are created by culture and create culture. Examples of the Diderot Effect Here are some examples of the Diderot Effect in action that I could relate to: Denis Diderot gradually replacing his possessions with fancier more expensive ones and becoming poor as a result. Replacing my hastily bought student furniture with smarter furniture for our own home. Adding a new smart painting to a wall causing you to take down your old music posters. A new pair of shoes causing me to reconsider the whole outfit. Notes Cultural anthropologist Grant McCracken introduced the Diderot Effect, which I learned about from James Clear's Atomic Habits. As I learned from Seth Godin's Akimbo podcast episode — The Deletionists, Diderot also played a key role in the development of the encyclopedia. The Diderot Effect appears in my book Big Ideas Little Pictures. Here's a translation of Denis Diderot's essay "Regrets for my Old Dressing Gown, or A warning to those who have more taste than fortune" Related Ideas The paradox of choice The Streisand effect Front stage, back stage The Paradise Paradox Sharpen the saw Enough molehillls make a mountain Implementation intentions

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