Advice on Choice

The score of the test does not mean anything. You can either be a maximizer or a satisficer and live happily ever after. I score 3.6 which is in the middle third. Seems to be a bit boring as I then cannot enjoy the best choice of the maximizer nor the carefree life of the satisficer. But who would believe that our fate is tied to a three minute test.

I recall another test I got from a management course. Suppose you are allowed to walk through an apple orchard down a one way path. You cannot walk back. You can pick only one apple only once along the way. The test takes away simultaneous choices, but gives out choices one by one in sequence. One should normally pick the best apple that satisfies his standard. The choice of different people reflects their standard of a reasonably good apple. But it is a torture for the extreme maximizer, because they will pick almost the last apple on the path, irrespective it is the best.

Professor Schwartz did have some good observations and he offered a little advice, just to avoid that the tyranny of abundant choice may drive you to clinical depression. Here is his advice below.