Can too many choices lead to unhappiness?

When there are too many options, however, our brains start evaluating each choice. We are afraid of picking the wrong one and missing out on something better. That is why psychologists call it the “Paradox of Choice”, and more freedom leads to anxiety. Moreover, after the decision is taken, our minds still cannot stop wondering whether it was the right decision. We keep thinking, “What if I had chosen something else?”, or “Was there a better choice?”.

Such thoughts make us dissatisfied even if the decision we took was actually a good one. It is also worth mentioning that social media is making the paradox of choice worse. Every day, we see other lives, other careers, other travels, and other partners that seem more interesting than ours. Thus, social media gives us constant reminders of other options that seem to give us more happiness than what we have now. Because of this, we tend to be less satisfied with our own lives. However, it does not mean that choices are not a good thing. The freedom to choose is an important element of our independence and mental health.

The problem is that when there are too many choices, it becomes difficult to decide. People get overwhelmed and sometimes do not make a decision at all, or when they take one, they often feel regret. So how can we solve this problem? One possible solution is that we need to know our priorities in life when we face a decision. If we do not look for the perfect choice but simply look for a choice that fits us, the pressure would decrease. In reality, we are not guaranteed to find the best option in life, but we can try to create the best life out of whatever choices we make. Our happiness lies not in the number of choices we have, but in our ability to be confident about what we choose.