The Paradox of Choice

The paradox of choice is that it’s always there, not to mention the fact that it’s the single most simplest thing that can bring people together.

We are swarmed by the many different things we are offered, yet are always bored with it in one way or another. Although it fulfills our need for happiness for a certain amount of time, we are still unsatisfied with what we get, leaving us grieving about it more than we’re actually entertained by it, for example; watching some sort of show on TV.

The reading provided us with the example of Johnny Carson. People were connected through this guy’s show. If you knew Cason’s show, and the person across the street from you knew that show, you could be as different as night and day, but still have a shared knowledge about it. Or even when Klosterman gives the example of "The 'Hey Y!' Moment", which is perfect because it shows that sense of belonging and connection between people who know the hit pop single.

The “short term happiness” it provides us (like we discussed in class) , is only because it gives us something we want to do, and it’s a sense of freedom and control because you’re in charge of deciding for yourself what it is that you want to experience, which in this case is probably watching the Tonight Show. Yet, when we no longer feel that, we feel regret, because we could have done something else that probably has a lot more importance than sitting there watching the show on TV.

For me, it’s like trying to work on something I know has to be handed in the next day, but I waste my time on MSN talking about boys and what to wear because it’s obviously a lot more important to me than finalizing a copy of my English essay for Ms. Chang. Though obviously, after procrastinating for quite some time, I am left with two hours less than what I had to put my effort into the narrative. Because of that I’ll do a poor job just so I can finish in time to watch the next episode of ‘The Hills’ which premiers in, like, an hour.

Choice is what makes and breaks us.