The Paradox of Choice: Why Too Many Options Make Us Less Happy

If shopping at stores offering an endless selection of options leaves you feeling overwhelmed or confused, you're not alone. When we have a broad selection, it becomes difficult to make decisions.

This is true regarding career, place of residence, or even marriage. Research and real-world experience suggest that having too many options doesn’t make decision-making easier. On the contrary, it complicates the process, prolongs it, and often leaves us with no decision at all.

The Paradox of Choice

Logically, you’d expect that the more choices available, the easier it should be to find something suitable. After all, people have different tastes and needs, and therefore a bigger selection should increase the odds of finding a perfect match.

Western economic theory is built on this very principle: an open market with unlimited products and services should, in theory, provide the optimal outcome, as everyone finds what they want.

However, reality proves otherwise. Barry Schwartz, in his book The Paradox of Choice – Why More Is Less, presents several studies showing that too many options actually undermine our ability to choose.

In one supermarket experiment, researchers set up a tasting table with different jams and offered participants a $1 discount coupon to purchase one afterward.

• One group was offered just 6 flavors.

• The other group was offered 24 flavors.

The results were striking: 30% of those who sampled from the smaller selection made a purchase, while only 3% of those faced with the larger selection bought a jar. In fact, while the larger variety drew more people to the table (60% vs. 40%), the smaller variety led to far more actual purchases.

More options sparked more interest, but fewer choices led to action.

Another study of students choosing pens showed the same effect. With only 2 pen options, 40% bought one. With 10 options, purchase rates rose. When faced with 30 options, the buying rate dropped to 30% — even lower than the group with just 2 choices.

Too Many Choices = Higher Expectations

Even when people do choose from a wide selection, the sheer abundance of options increases expectations, raising the likelihood of disappointment. A person who picks one shirt from two options will feel less regret if it doesn’t suit him, compared to someone who had dozens of options and can’t shake the thought: “I should have chosen differently.”

This ties in perfectly with the wisdom of Pirkei Avot: “Who is rich? One who is content with what he has.” The moment we constantly compare ourselves to what others have, contentment disappears.

The Downside of Modern Abundance

Our world of abundance doesn’t only complicate decision-making, but it also creates health and environmental problems. Overeating, poor diet, and obesity lead to high cholesterol, diabetes, and heart disease. Industrial pollution from unchecked growth contributes to respiratory illness. Even diseases like cancer can sometimes be linked to overexposure to chemicals, radiation, and unhealthy consumption patterns — all symptoms of a culture of excess.

A Spiritual Lesson

On a spiritual level, unlimited choice increases the risk of short-sighted, impulsive decisions that harm us long-term. Consider your refrigerator: it’s easier to eat healthy when it contains a limited, balanced selection of foods, rather than when it’s overflowing with both nutritious and junk options.

Does exposing children to every possible option in the “wide world” help them grow into fulfilled, happy adults? Or does it simply increase the chances of stumbling, getting hurt, or being swept away by negative influences?

The Torah, in its divine wisdom, anticipated the harm of too many options. Instead of leaving us to navigate endless possibilities, it limited our choices in a way that prevents confusion. A believer still has free will between good and bad, but the Torah guides us clearly, reducing the constant pressure of endless decisions.

This focus provides us with peace of mind. Once a decision is made in line with Torah guidance, a person feels whole, aligned, and free of the never-ending cycle of doubt, regret, and second-guessing.

Fewer choices don’t mean less freedom. They result in greater clarity, deeper happiness, and a truer connection to what really matters.