In The Paradox of Choice: Why More Is Less, Barry Schwartz discusses the overwhelming number of options available in the modern world, and how people react to it.
Schwartz talks about psychologist Herbert A. Simon’s ideas about maximizers and satisficers. From the wikipedia article “The Paradox of Choice: Why More Is Less”, “A maximizer is like a perfectionist, someone who needs to be assured that their every purchase or decision was the best that could be made.”
And “A satisficer has criteria and standards, but a satisficer is not worried about the possibility that there might be something better.” That is, they find a good enough option instead of trying to find the very best option.
I tend to be a maximizer, expending way to much energy and anxiety on choices that aren’t that important. Trying to find every single available option and determining how it ranks can be really exhausting and often doesn’t get any better result than choosing a good option from a limited number.
I recognized myself in the book and decided to do something about it. That’s where MaxiMouser comes in. I’ve assigned him the task of being the maximizer, so I can let some of that go and learn how to be a satisficer – gaining more time and less worry.
Oh, and what a surprise… at least for me, the emotion behind being a Maximizer is fear! Fear of making the wrong choice, fear of being foolish, fear of not getting a good deal.
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