Barry Schwartz: The paradox of choice

he is definitely the Al Pacino of TED

WRONG - The gun is pointed by those in the government. No government, no gun. You are not forced to breathe, eat, sleep, love.

Government coercion forces you to make choices you do not want. Self knowledge and philosophy lead you in the right direction. In the direction of acting out of curiosity for the world you live in. Not because you are forced, but because you are enriched by it.

Advice: Know Thyself. It is an amazing journey. You are not forced to do it.

You are forced to breathe, eat and sleep, if you want to stay alive.
I can sense a critical view on government, but the obligation to make a choice is not made by any government.
The jeans example shows just that. You are not forced by any law to buy new jeans. You WANT to buy them. Because you want it, you have to make a choice.
That simple.

"policy" is a protocol. It's not a "police".
I know myself very well. To the point that I know what this Ph.D talks about is (somewhat) true.

Happiness is to be found within ourself first, it does not have anything to do with our outer world. We have to be happy first, then do, then have. BE DO HAVE. People break this order and therefore are unhappy. Happiness is a choice.

1. he sounds like an old man, who doesnt like change. he has to remember. that there are younger generations that know how to cope with these "choices"

2. he is forgeting also. that people can decide on there own to decide to be happy, the only people i find that are unhappy making there a choice, are the ones who worrie about what other people think.

3. i know he skipped the good parts of choice. but, i can agree hes right, but only for the people that choose not to accept there choices.

First, If dissatisfaction from the road not taken was the point of his lecture then this was a total waste of time since there is no need for a Ph.D to tell us that.

Second, the reason I really dislike this lecture is that he suggests POLICY to set a fishbowl. That is the real danger of his lecture.

In a real free society, things that come with too many options will disappear if people don't want them. NO NEED TO FORCE A FISHBOWL ON PEOPLE. We, unfortunately, do not live in such free place

First, dissatisfaction from the road not taken wasn't the point of the lecture. How choice does not always equal happiness IS. Did you even watch it?

Second, the fishbowl is relative, as he clearly states. And nowhere did I see him petitioning for government reduction in any kind of choice.

Nobody is going to take away your 'freedom' to order you 50 different things on the Mcdonalds dollar menu. He's just saying the variety is not going to make you any happier.

@Viniagrette - First, I was replying to your earlier comment in which you implied that missed opportunity was the point, that is why I started with "IF". Now, if "variety is not going to make you any happier" is the point of this lecture, it was still a waste of time. No need to get a Ph. D. to know that. Plenty of evidence in the world we live in.

@Viniagrette - Second, he clearly used the word policy and he believes in government. No need to be a genius to know where he is going. If he was courageous he would point out that forcing people to make choices (from limited or unlimited options) is a bigger problem in the present!!!

If you are a doctor, you first worry about helping the patient with his bleeding amputated leg, then you worry about his acne problem.

@Viniagrette - Last, neither forced infinite variety (e.g. million options to invest my IRA) or forced limited variety (i.e. his fishbowl) will make anyone happy. Only freedom and self knowledge will. Happiness has nothing to do with unlimited choices. It has to do with introspection and knowing your own self. It means understanding your feelings and acting with reason. Once you do that, the number of choices is irrelevant for happiness.