Stuart Jeffries, in The Guardian, explores the reason why too much choice is stressing us out. We all know the debilitating feeling one can get when you have no choice, but having too many choices creates a debilitating feeling as well. As one example, you decide you want to watch a movie. But do you want to view it via Netflix, AppleTV, Pay-Per-View, Amazon, Chromecast, Hulu, Roku, or YouTube? And then do you want to watch it on your phone, tablet, laptop, desktop computer, or your TV? That's thirteen choices for a simple movie.

As Jeffries writes, "The standard line is that choice is good for us, that it confers on us freedom, personal responsibility, self-determination, autonomy and lots of other things that don't help when you're standing before a towering aisle of water bottles, paralyzed and increasingly dehydrated, unable to choose." Stuart goes on to say, "Increased choice, then, can make us miserable because of regret, self-blame and opportunity costs. Worse, increased choice has created a new problem: the escalation in expectations."

Possible Preaching Angle:

Sounds like a little more contentment, gratitude, and thanksgiving might help solve this contemporary malady.

Source:

Stuart Jeffries, “Why Too Much Choice Is Stressing Us Out,” The Guardian (11-21-15)