Does TOO MUCH CHOICE make us UNHAPPY?

Isn’t the TED site great? I watched the Schwartz presentation and have mixed feelings. On one hand, I totally concur with the conclusion that our society has become way too materialistic, fast-paced, etc. No doubt it in my mind. In fact, I have to set VERY tough boundaries in my own life to keep things even remotely on track…like ensuring my husband stops checking his Blackberry, my kids understand that life isn’t a huge “a la carte menu”.

On the other hand, I get the impression Schwartz may use this as a justification for a socialist society and he starts to lose me there. It’s been proven time again that redistribution of wealth and abandonment of a free market don’t equate to long-term happiness. Let me rephrase. They CAN, but they often DON’T in practice. The less choice people perceive politically, the more restless they become. So there is a reconciliation that must be made between PERSONAL happiness and SOCIETAL happiness. The two are not mutually exclusive, but they are not completely interdependent, either.

Back to personal choice…I know that many times I can walk into a huge department store or mall and almost become paralyzed with choices. On the other hand, the older I get, the more confident I become in what I like and what works for me. So having that choice out there is GREAT because it means the odds of my finding what make ME happy increase. I don’t waste time looking through the racks in certain departments or stores because I know what I like.

So I guess to me, happiness in the end comes down to being happy in your own skin…knowing what you want, not being swayed by the consumer culture, and sticking to your own guns.

Just my opinion!