Page 1 of 4 123 ... LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 35

Thread: too much choice

  1. #1
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Posts
    5,478

    too much choice

    Today, we traveled downtown to the Whole Foods headquarter store to score a few things. As always, I am more than amazed by the vast array of foodstuffs. I wanted to buy some dried beans but there were so many choices I couldn't decide. Ditto with every other category. I thought about how hard it is to get to know one thing well when bombarded with so many choices. I mean it is a blessing to have such abundance but it almost seems a shame because it becomes sensory overload and anxiety provoking (at least for me). Make sense?

  2. #2
    Senior Member mtnlaurel's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Posts
    932
    TOTALLY makes sense.

    I haven't read this yet, but a friend had an article posted about 'Decision Fatigue' in NYTimes
    http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/21/ma...ef=johntierney


    I'm too fatigued from a trip to the grocery to read the article! ;P

  3. #3
    Senior Member CathyA's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Posts
    9,116
    Way to many choices everywhere. Wish there were less. But that is unpatriotic, right?

  4. #4
    Senior Member fidgiegirl's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Location
    Saint Paul, MN
    Posts
    3,911
    I am reading the wonderful book "Switch" by Chip Heath and Dan Heath and they talk about this very issue! Because people suffer from "decision paralysis" (or some such term) they advocate "scripting the critical moves" when implementing a big change. One of the huge examples is health - some researchers wanted to help people become more healthy, so they decided that they would focus on ONE behavior that would pack a punch, and promote the heck out of it (and appeal to the emotional side of people, that's another part of the book). That behavior was to drink 1% instead of whole milk. People did it, and became healthier!

    Not quite if that's what you were writing about, but I think I get it. I am getting decision-ed out on our house. I no longer care if walls are hot pink or the toilet is green, as long as I don't have to agonize over one more choice. My poor DH. My anxiety level is reaching levels I have never known before
    Last edited by fidgiegirl; 2-11-12 at 10:18pm. Reason: Confusing
    Kelli

    My gluten free blog: Twin Cities Gluten Free
    Our house remodel blog: Our Fair Abode

  5. #5
    Senior Member lhamo's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Location
    Seattle
    Posts
    1,625
    I used to have anxiety attacks when going into a US grocery store after spending long periods in China -- that was back in the day before supermarkets had started to develop here. Being confronted with so many choices all at once was simply overwhelming. Now I have anxiety going into large Chinese markets, too, if I don't have a focused list. Lists are what make shopping managable for me. I have mostly stopped going to large stores here in China -- too many people, too many choices, too long lines. I have a little shopping routine I do every week, and I work from a stocked pantry approach. Sometimes I will find a new recipe that I want to try, and that means going somewhere else to shop if I don't have it at our small local shops. But if/when that happens I make a note of where I can get that ingredient and then try to stock up once every few months. Ikea is now one of my stock-up spots -- for smoked salmon, salmon fillets, coffee beans, pasta sauce, dark chocolate, and crisp bread. There is an indian grocery where I get various beans and lentils. Almost everything else I can get in the local shops. We are lucky that we have a good import store that is in easy walking distance, and a couple of smaller Chinese grocery stores + a veggie stand + a fruit stand where I get everything else.

    The pantry approach is key, though. At least for us.

    lhamo
    "Seek out habits that help you overcome fear or inertia. Destroy those that do the opposite." Seth Godin

  6. #6
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Posts
    2,725
    And just think: Whole Foods and most natural foods stores have fewer choices than the average supermarket!
    All in the name of corporate profits... it's really insane if you think about the acreage nationwide that must be consumed by variations of sugar water (soda), flour-and-sugar made into flakes (cold cereal), flour made into crackers, flour and sugar made into cookies, flour and numerous chemicals made into bread, etc.
    Far better to reduce most food choices to whole food ingredients, and only buy those. Of course, that's where this thread began, with dried beans. But I don't feel bad about keeping an assortment of dried beans in the house - we use them daily!

    But I hear you on the decision fatigue. Fidgiegirl, I felt exactly the same way when we re-did our bathroom a few years ago. "Not another decision!!!"

    And on the health note, removing the decision is one thing that seems to work for me. Instead of deciding every time I'm around (tempting item), I simply decide there is no decision and I am not going to eat (tempting item)

  7. #7
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Location
    SoCal
    Posts
    9,656
    Not really bothered by too much choice. I self limit it naturally, don't shop for recreation much. The choice at Whole Foods I actually love but I have to admit it does drive some excess spending, as I get a bit disoriented. I'll be all lost in the produce section, trying to catch my thoughts ok what should I eat in the next few days again? (and this even when I went in with some idea). Ooh mangoes look good (one goes in the cart, joining the apples and bananas - wait a second I do eat fruit, but really do I ever end up eating that much?). I'm all lost in the supermarket, I can no longer shop happily ... well maybe happy enough but a little disoriented with an overfilled basket.

    I could deal with less choice if the choices were good. Less types of fruits, but all delicious, healthy and organic. Fine. Less brands of goods, but none of them pieces of junk. Ok. But when so many of the choices are bad (more and more merchandise is cheaply made these days, I mean in all categories of non-edibles quality is going down! It's a real trend) I'll take more choice any day of the week. So at least I have a chance of getting something decent. Hey maybe that is why the choice at Whole Foods is pleasurable for me, lots of choices and all of them good ones! Too much ends up in the basket.
    Trees don't grow on money

  8. #8
    Senior Member mira's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    UK
    Posts
    543
    I do think it is redundant to have so much choice, but then again I do like hunting down the best value food products and being able to choose whether I want products laden with chemicals or not. It's when there is an entire aisle dedicated to toilet paper and paper towels that really baffles me.

    There is a great book called 'Enough: breaking free from the world of more' by John Naish that touches on this subject. It's also very insightful in other areas.

  9. #9
    Senior Member Jemima's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    Philadelphia 'Burbs
    Posts
    695
    I remember standing in Giant, a big supermarket chain here, absolutely dazed by the gazillion different kinds of chopped tomatoes when all I wanted was a store brand with no added spices. Aldi's is a much more peaceful shopping experience as they only have one brand of everything.

  10. #10
    Moderator Float On's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    By a lake in MO
    Posts
    4,665
    Back in the 80's I helped with a group of Russians who came as part of an entertainment group. I was given the task of taking them to wal-mart about 2 weeks into their stay. Several of the girls were so overwhelmed with the number of options for deodorant or shampoo that they just stood there and cried.
    Float On: My "Happy Place" is on my little kayak in the coves of Table Rock Lake.

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •