Too Many Choices

This is a republished blog I wrote at an old site that is now closed down.

I remember reading some time ago an article in a newspaper about the issue of America offering too many choices.  So, having been thinking about this a fair amount over these last number of days, I have decided to do some research to see if I could find the article, but alas, the choice of which research site to use was too much, so I settled with Google.   Thankfully, after a brief search, I did not have to spend much time choosing which search hit to research, for the one that caught my eye first was just what I was looking for.
Barry Schwartz wrote a book The Paradox of Choice.  He argues that having too many choices here in America is actually working towards our detriment.  We go to the grocery store and have dozens of choices of foods to buy.  Ever get stuck wondering which kind and brand of peanut butter you will choose to eat this week.  We have over 25 different kinds of bread, and the aisle I find myself stuck in most often is the breakfast cereal aisle.  I can't even begin to count how many choices there are there!

Schwartz wrote that an overabundance of choice can "produce genuine suffering."  I have to agree.  The reason is that we will spend a great deal of time trying to choose which option is the best, and in that process become what another once termed "maximizers."  The problem is that we are so overwhelmed by the potential repercussions of our possible choice that we either never make one, or we settle for less than what we desire.  These repercussions can be either significant or menial.  They could result in severe financial loss, or simply indigestion, and the fear of failure in our decision making process overwhelms us to the point of frustration, fear, and even depression.  Researchers even noted that the more choices a person is offered, the less likely they are to make a decision.  We are convinced that by having more options we will become happier, when in fact we only become more distressed.  The "what if" question plagues our conscience.

It seems God has an answer for everything (surprised??).  Christ informed us to not worry about tomorrow, or what we shall eat or drink, or where we will lay our heads tonight or even next week.  All he asks is that we concern ourselves only with what is eternal, and he will take care of all our other, temporal needs.  That we get caught up in "choice" is evidence that we are not completely relying upon him.  This is a tough lesson, one that never ceases to convict me.  And while there may not be a good answer to this problem, it is good to be aware of it and be thankful to God that in spite of our paralyzing worries about choice, he continues to care for and about us.