Video: The paradox of choice - why more choices are often bad

[brotherS]

At PC Forum 2006 in Carlsbad, Calif., Barry Schwartz, the author of "The Paradox of Choice," talks about why greater freedom and more choices often make us feel worse.

5 minutes 11 seconds

I read about this topic before, this video has examples from shopping at the super-market, speed-dating and fund-picking: http://news.com.com/1606-2_3-6054793.html

Now how do I download the video?

[nudone]

agreed. yet, i live in the UK where 'choice' is nothing like it is the US and i'm still paralysed. it's trivial but i noticed it at a young age - just trying to pick out which chocolate bar i'd buy from a shop.

it's always been a bit of a joke between my friends when we're in a shop together and we all start complaining that there is too much choice.

it's nice to hear someone confirm our suspicions in a more academic way.

[m_s]

That's great!  Thanks for the link brotherS.  It keys into the kinds of discussion they have over on 37signals' excellent blog, Signal Vs Noise: http://www.37signals.com/svn/

This is a subject that I've become very interested in: how to reduce to essences without giving away what is needed for clear communication.  But I'm coming at it more from a point of view of life than of design.

Having grown up in South Africa, we had even less choice than England - I was a little shocked on my first visit to a UK supermarket.  But not nearly as shocked as I was when trying to pick up a snack in a Manhattan drug store!