Now this isn't such a big deal when you are deciding on rye versus chia seed honey bread; but imagine if you had a really important decision to make such as a career choice or choosing a medical treatment. The costs of making the "wrong choice" or taking a significant amount of time and effort to make an informed decision could have dire consequences.
Another problem identified in studies of choice are for the so-called "maximisers". These are people who want to make the best possible choice, and so they complete an exhaustive study of all the available options before making their decision. A "satisficer" on the other hand is someone who is interested in making a good enough choice, so they keep looking at options only until they find one that meets their minimum requirements.
I used to be a maximiser and I can tell you that it is exhausting and at times depressing. Maximisers put a lot of time and effort looking at all available options before making a decision to ensure that they get maximum bang for their buck - time that could be better spent elsewhere.
They worry that they may not have made the best choice, always in the back of their mind that another choice may have been better and made them happier.
It is really hard to be happy with the outcome of your decision when you constantly compare it to other possibilities, which in your mind could have been ever more perfect.
For instance, I nearly starved my husband several times while travelling overseas. I wanted to search, discover and delight in finding the most quintessential restaurant that defined the essence and soul of the country we travelled in. My husband, the satisficer, would say I'm hungry, look around him and walk into the nearest place and eat.
Travelling with me meant that he had to walk for hours until I found the right place. Although we did eat in some extraordinary places, I wonder whether it warranted the effort and time in looking for that perfect place for every meal? In retrospect I suspect not.
What I have realised is that sometimes it is better to go with "good enough", especially for choices that are relatively unimportant in the grand scheme of things. I save my maximising for the really important things in life (medical decisions, my studies, family stuff) and not the unimportant things (clothes shopping, which brand of jam to choose or which campground to stay in).
Now when I make a decision, I roll with it and realise that it is actually up to me to be happy with that choice rather than always searching for the better option.
Studies have shown that people are actually happier and make quicker and better choices when they have fewer choices available to them. This gives new weight to the old adage "less is more".
I think this is another reason why I love being in Wanganui so much. There is more than enough choice to get what I need and be happy, but not too much choice that ultimately wastes my time when I am trying to make a decision. Really how much choice do we really need to be happy?
A registered psychologist with a masters in applied psychology, Wanganui mother-of-two Kristen Hamling is studying for a PhD in positive psychology at Auckland University of Technology.
