smiles 0 #1 June 13, 2004 Too much consumer choice- How out of control the concept of consumer choice has become-which one should we choose? Does obsessing over making the best choice cause unhappiness? Abundance has not created a satisfied society. Ever find yourself staring at dozens of virtually identical tile samples believing that the “ecru” subway wall tile will somehow fulfill in a way that the “white” subway tile won’t? In fact being overwhelmed with all those perplexing but trivial decisions we make every day, numbs us to the fact that the breadth of these choices is laughably narrow. A classic example is choosing between Nestle’s Aero or Mirage chocolate bars. (Aero’s bubbles are slightly bigger.) And there is the dozen different formulations of Tide sitting on the supermarket shelf. Selecting “relaxed fit” over “easy fit,” while undeniably a choice, is a hollow surrogate for choices that truly matter, choices that reflect true personal autonomy. “Maximizers” or people who want the absolute best, so they have to examine every choice or they fear that they are not getting the best -are prone to misery and depression. A “satisficer,” on the other hand settles for what is good enough and is more likely to be happy. Then there is the “status anxiety”- the choices people make in their desperate quest for social standing. “Multiphrenia” has been termed a manic society trying to avail itself of a sea of choices in the belief that everything can be improved…”newer” “better” “updated”…………….. The illusion of choice- buying into the illusion that we have “unlimited choice” also leads to another delusion- that it, rather than people making choices, is to blame for many social problems. The compulsion to take inventory of one’s wants and continually upgrade to a better deal can help explain everything from the rise of the pathological channel switcher who can never watch one show straight through to staggering divorce rates to employer-employee disloyalty. Do we as consumers and citizens, enjoy and exercise “unlimited choice?” We have such little choice about the things that really matter. The abundance of insignificant choices masks the reality that choice is not as plentiful as we think, particularly where it matters- in politics, in culture, in public discourse. In Canada and the U.S., the election campaigns highlight the fact that both countries have monolithic two-party systems in which distinctions aren’t as significant as the rhetoric suggests. Is there no pricing competition on everything from credit-card interest rates to gas prices? Lack of choice is also evident in a repetitive diet of banal mass-market of entertainment, despite our 1,000-channel universe. Yes, lets blame the remote control for behavior that has human choice at its root. Let’s criticize stores for paving the way to our “genuine suffering”. That’s our choice, isn’t it? Just as it’s our choice to decide whether to buy into the conventional wisdom about consumer choice, or not. SMileseustress. : a positive form of stress having a beneficial effect on health, motivation, performance, and emotional well-being. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billvon 3,090 #2 June 13, 2004 >Do we as consumers and citizens, enjoy and exercise “unlimited > choice?” We have such little choice about the things that really matter. That's an illusion as well. You do really have choices, and they are not just which SUV to buy. You can move closer to work and ride a bike. You can get a motorcycle. Heck, you can even buy a helicopter. >Abundance has not created a satisfied society. Why the heck would it? Material possessions have little to do with whether or not you're happy. There are people in Sub-Saharan Africa who are immensely happy and have nothing compared to us. There are plenty of rich people in the US who make themselves miserable. Part of this boils down to Bill's Theory of Perceptual Homeostasis.(tm) People try to maintain a desired level of risk, a certain type of image, a certain level of opulence. They adjust their own lives to maintain an even keel in all things they perceive. If there are only two kinds of soaps they will agonize over them, and say there's no real choice because there are only two. If there are 200 types they will say the same thing, that they are all the same and there's no real choice. They adjust their perceptions to maintain their desired level of happiness and fulfillment (or, to put it another way, to maintain their desired level of unhappiness and frustration.) This is unconscious; no one sets out to make themselves unhappy, but we often subconsciously choose things that _do_ make us unhappy. >Is there no pricing competition on everything from credit-card >interest rates to gas prices? That's how we restrict our own choices. There is plenty of pricing competition between natural gas, diesel and gasoline. There are plenty of choices as to how to pay for things; credit cards are not the only way to do it. (Note that debit cards charge no interest at all!) Years ago, I got sick of the prices of housing around here, so I lived in a van for six months. Saved around $8000, which ended up being part of a downpayment on a house years later. You just have to be willing to make a choice like that and not let yourself be controlled by society's 'acceptable' choices. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
damion75 0 #3 June 14, 2004 Sorry - I would have loved to read this thread but I was too busy wondering whether I needed that double tape strip going diagonally across the grippers on my new RW suit, or if I should get them two tone instead...*************** Not one shred of evidence supports the theory that life is serious - look at the platypus. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lindsey 0 #4 June 14, 2004 Tonight my 7 y/o son explained to me why he needed more than one wood, 3 irons and a putter. I told him that I'd be happy to tie a rock to the end of a stick if he so desired, but that I wouldn't buy anymore golf clubs until he was proficient with the ones he has....lol. You're right. One more, more-specialized club won't make a person more happy. I am, though, very glad that my kid can have golf clubs that fit him. In the big scheme of things, golf clubs don't matter one iota, but I'm grateful that I was born in a place that has such things (and others) for our amusement. Peace~ Lindsey Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
peacefuljeffrey 0 #5 June 14, 2004 Quote Then there is the “status anxiety”- the choices people make in their desperate quest for social standing. You mean like these idiots who pay like $60 for a shirt that advertises Puff Daddy for him and think they're better than those of us wearing Target clothes because of it? --Jeffrey "With tha thoughts of a militant mind... Hard line, hard line after hard line!" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bertusgeert 1 #6 June 16, 2004 Very insightful thread - I'll remember it when I have a paper to write! Walking down the cereal isle for the first time in America is incredible. I never knew that people could come up with so many varieties of sugar coated rice puffs and chocolate covered balls and honey and blueberry and strawberry, little loops, letters, and snowflake shaped cereal, marshmallow cereal...it goes on... (my favorite is still what I ate as a kid - plain cornflakes!) Its an interesting topic, I'm sure there are marketing strategists who specialize on it. Once again, very good post! --------------------------------------------- As jy dom is moet jy bloei! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
