The Paradox of Choice

Research on happiness has shown that when presented with a large number of choices people often think they'll be able to find perfection by selecting the best option. Ironically, this often leads to disappointment, because it's easy to think, "There's a better choice still out there." So having too many choices actually leads to decreased satisfaction. For example, people asked to choose from among 5 types of gourmet cookies were significantly more satisfied with their choice than those choosing from 20 types.

So to find happiness: Don't wait for the perfect and then make a decision. Make a decision and then make it perfect. If chronic indecision or anxiety about choices feels overwhelming, therapy can help you move forward.