Remember that I said I was flustered and almost angsty because I couldn’t decide on the venue? Tada, I have fallen into the trap of the paradox of choice. Like many kiasu Singaporean out there, I couldn’t make a decision unless I have done my research and made enough comparison right?? It’s the fear of missing out on the best deal! To a certain extent yes. I still believe in having a selection of choice and making an informed decision. However, what happens when there are too many options to choose from and I just can’t choose?
The idea of ‘less is more’ is popular among the minimalist. Therefore, they question themselves if they need so many things in their life that clutters not only their physical space but also their mental clarity.
Rolf Dobelli highlighted the illusion of choice very clearly in his book “The art of thinking clearly” where he mentioned that too many choices leads to inner paralysis. This in turn leads to poorer decision quality and frustration. He listed an example where her sister had TOO many selections of tiles to choose from for her new house that she just couldn’t decide on which one. This was because she was afraid that she would make the ‘wrong’ choice and wants to make the ‘best’ decision. However, there is simply so such thing as a perfect decision.
This reminder helped me focus a little more when I was about to go deeper into the selection frenzy. When I was frustrated and could not make a decision, I wanted to look for more choices for comparison as I thought it would help me in making a better choice. Nope. So what I have learnt from the book is that when there are a wide selection of choices, I have to:
1. List down what I want – which was what I did in my previous blog post.
2. Write it down and follow it rigidly – following it rigidly was tough
3. Learn to love the ‘good choice’.
Ultimately, we have to be gentle with ourselves and understand that we will never make a perfect decision. Sometimes we may have judgment errors but hey that’s ok because life is about continuous learning journey right? ☺
Therefore, for my wedding gown selection, I have decided to narrow down into my top 3 bridal boutiques before going down 👍
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