The Paradox of Choice

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The Paradox of Choice: A Response
The question of choice is, from a Western perspective, about freedom. To choose is, accordingly, to exercise a value well-embedded in Western culture for centuries (TED). The proliferation of choices is, as such, only a manifestation of Western abstract concept of freedom in a material form. The increase in choices, so a common economic argument goes, is good and more choice is better. This dogma of “more is better” is, however, countered by a growing body of evidence, despite not yet conclusive, showing too many choices could lead up to a state of paralysis. That is, contrary to an established economic concept of Pareto Effect, whereby more choices make life better at no additional cost for anyone, too many choices make people unable to decide to a point of complete paralysis (Schwartz). By offering a diversity of options, people find harder weighing pros and cons of any given offering and, as a consequence, opt out all together.
The Paradox of Choice is, thus understood, poses interesting questions. For one, too many choices, despite showing not a particularly good thing, are still elusive, as Schwartz argues, since not all too many choices in everything is bad. Put differently, whilst a diversity of too many options are shown to paralyze people to make sound and straightforward decisions, sometimes too many options make people avoid restrictions in areas where too many choices is favorable. This brings up a question of validity. Indeed, just as Schwartz asserts, not knowing how or when much is too much does not mean a Theory of Paradox of Choice is simply invalid. Instead, current propositions about choice, i.e. too many choices, should be taken as a step in a long journey of theory refinement – just as everything else is in scientific progress. Moreover, a paradox of choice offers, if...