A Correlation between Choice and Happiness - Essay Example

Choice and Happiness – is there a Correlation? It is more logic to believe that having more choices to make translates to more happiness (Salyers, 2004). Doesn’t it seem to be quite boring when you enter a clothing shop and all you find is a single type of clothing? Who would not want to enter into a shopping mall packed with all the variety of clothing one would every wish for? Who would not like an “all-under-one-roof” experience in life? According to Barry Schwartz, ''Although some choice is undoubtedly better than none, more is not always better than less'' (Schwartz, 2005). Studies have shown that instead of happiness increasing because of the increase in variety to choose from, more misery comes in. However, this is not to say that having no choice at all is the best. The correlation is not direct or directly proportional, but there is irregular proportionality in this. Choices must be made, and it is good and vital to make a choice. However, this does not mean that more choice means more happiness (Bruni, 2007). Of all the regions in the world, America is the highest super power, and the development therein is immense. It is believed that Americans get to enjoy advancement in technology that people in third world countries come to enjoy many years later. When it comes to availability of variety of choice, Americans are said to be among the top in the world. Life offers them more choices than they can ever ask for. However, this does not mean that Americans are the happiest people on the face of the earth. After conducting adequate research, experts in social psychology have come to the conclusion that those who have more choice and more material comfort or privileges make most of those whose well-being is very poor. Most of the depressed people are those who are more privileged in the society. Having a lot of choices at one’s disposal is not the sole factor that determines how happy or stressed one will be, but studies show that it is a major determinant (Schwartz 2005). There are two major types of people in relation to choices those who strive to make good use of the variety available, and they strive to make the most accurate choice. “Second Best” is a term that appears nowhere near them, and it is unheard of as far as their lives are concerned. We shall call these people the type A people. The second type are those who do not mind making the “best of the best” choices, but they are contented when they find something that is good enough for them. These are the type B people (Mishra 2009). The type A kind of a person will literally sweat before making any purchase. This person will buy a stack of the latest magazines so that they can be adequately informed about the latest and the most appropriate choices in the market. Even after reading from the magazines, this person still does not believe. He goes to the store, picks the item the magazines are recommending and they take out their glasses to read every word on the label. They take all the time with the store attendants trying to make them explain terminologies on the label that they know nothing of. Still, this person does not believe. He calls the friends he trusts the most, and asks them what they think about this product. Still not fully convinced the person makes the purchase, but doubts fill his heart. After the item is purchased and they are half way using it, they still compare this purchase with the purchases others make, and he still does more “research” on this product, and hopes that the magazines will advertise a better one that the one they are currently using. One the other hand, the type B person is very simple this person goes out looking for the best, but along the way they find something that is second to best but still meets their desires. When they find this item, their search stops at this very point, and they cannot wait to pay for it at the counter to go out and put it into use. It is not possible for any human being in their capacity to try out literary everything in the market, but the type A person will try to achieve this. Therefore, the more choices this type of a person has to make, the more task of choosing he has. This person ends up being very unhappy about virtually almost every choice they have made. Even when other people comment in admiration on the car this person has, he will always whine and compare it with so-and-so’s car. When it is obvious even to others that this person has made the wrong choice, the misery triples above the misery present even when others envy the choice this person has made (Schwartz 2005). Therefore, it is quite dangerous when the type A person has more choices to make. This person misses the other available choices, because it is impossible to do accurate analysis of any product in isolation; it has to be analyzed in comparison to other products. When a person forgoes either an opportunity that would be the best or makes a choice, which they feel, is wrong, sorrow sets in and it can develop into more complex conditions. Most people whose rates of regrets are high are the people who are not satisfied in life, and they are more likely to suffer from stress, anxiety, depression and other related developments (Mishra 2009). Being too particular about choices also increases the cost and leads to losses. For instance, it happens when a person buys an expensive watch only to discover that it has no calendar or when someone buys a costly pair of dunks only to realize later that wearing them comfortably for twenty minutes is impossible. It would be hard to throw such shoes away, because admitting a mistake and then letting go is another issue. Therefore, this person throws them into his or her closet and the search for better ones starts again – this is sheer wastage of resources. Regret never comes when you have no choice; only disappointment comes in, but its effects are not as detrimental as those of regret (Merritt 2006). Another source of regret after choosing something is adaptability. When a person purchases something, they are at first excited about it, and nothing else seems to match this new acquirement. Every other seems to be inferior to this latest one. However, with time, this experience just dwindles and becomes pale (Greve 2010). The person gets used to this item, and the initial excitement about this thing fades away. Better items come, and regret that the right choice was not made sets in. most people are victims of such regret, because it is very hard to predict how long an item that is “good” takes before it stops being so. Despite the fact that the paradox of choice exists, there are ways to make this inconsistency work in one’s favor. For choices not to be overwhelming there is always an apt formula that can be used when choosing anything. The first thing, that looks obvious, knows your goals. One has to be in a position to clearly know exactly what they want before setting out to look for it. There are two foundations on which knowing what one wants is based. When one has never had the item before, his knowledge of what he wants will be expected, while someone who has had it before but wants another one will base his goal on remembrance of the previous, whether it was good or disappointing. After getting to the choice of what they want, evaluation of the significance and consequence of the goal has to be done. Most people do not want to make such evaluation, and they give themselves scanty and feeble reasons why their goal is important, instead of giving objective evidence (Merritt 2006). Once the available options of the goal are reached at, these options should be spread out, studied, considered, and sorted. The choice one makes needs to be framed (Greve 2010). For instance, a choice may be reached at that a certain outfit needs to be bought. However, there are many frames into which this choice can fit, depending on different situations. One might want that specific type of outfit because it fits into the theme of a certain occasion or it is good for wearing when going for a scheduled interview. On the other hand, the outfit may be desired simply because it looks exciting to have it or so that heads can turn when you enter a room or simply so that the empty space in your wardrobe can be filled. How much the outfit is worth will depend on the frame in which the outfit fits. When this is done and one has done an evaluation of how each choice can make a goal to be achieved, and to what degree, then the winning choice should be made. In addition, goals can be adjusted according to the choice that has been made and according to how it will affect the goal (Ransom 2006). Generally speaking, choice is a good thing to have. However, having an excess of variety becomes dangerous. This leads to a situation or a condition known as analysis paralysis. This is a condition whereby one does too much analysis of any situation before making any decision or resolution. During the process of evaluation, fear of making the wrong choice sets in, and the final choice made is in most cases wrong, fatal and unsuitable. In extreme cases, no choice at all is made because of the fear of making the wrong choice. However, this does not mean that having choice is wrong; it is very right, but there are certain limits of the variety of choices to choose from (Merritt 2006). Happiness cannot be achieved when standards set for it are too high. Most people base their happiness on some sort of achievement that is very unrealistic. Such people keep setting higher standards any time they get to a standard they had set before, and their journey of pursuit of happiness never ceases (Gault 2010). It is very possible for one to set happiness in their life. One of the phrases that should be erased from one’s mind is the “if only I could” phrase. Happiness will never be a destination, but it will always be a journey. Therefore, happiness cannot be based on whether one gets something in life or not. One can choose to be happy in the job they have before a better one comes; they do not have to base happiness on whether or not they one day become rocket scientists or when one day they drive this or live in the other. Life must be lived in bits, as it comes. Most people make the mistake of living a huge chunk of life all at once. They try to be this, that and the other all at once, and frustration is the reward they get (Bruni 2007). References Bruni, L., and Porta, P. L. 2007. Handbook on the economics of happiness. Camberley: Edward Elgar Publishing. Gault, C. R. 2010. Choices: The Secret to Making Wise Choices. Bloomington: WestBow Press. Greve, B. 2010. Choice: Challenges and Perspectives for the European Welfare States. New York: John Wiley and Sons. Merritt, S. 2006. Mastering Multiple Choice. Canada: The Brain Ranch. Mishra, J. S. 2009. Happiness is a Choice. New Delhi: Excel Books. Ransom, S. 2006. Three Paths, Three Choices: Getting the Life That You Deserve. Bloomington: iUniverse. Salyers, R. 2004. Too many Choices. Atlanta, Georgia: Avant Garde Publishing. Schwartz, B. 2005. The Paradox of Choice: Why More is Less. New York: HarperCollins. Read More