Preview

Summary Of The Paradox Of Choice

Better Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1737 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Summary Of The Paradox Of Choice
Finding my Pair of “Jeans” In the The Paradox of Choice, Barry Schwartz discusses the power and magnitude of choices. Despite our cultural believing in pursuing personal autonomy and having freedom to make a lot of choices, he argues that the more choices there are, the more likelihood that negative effects will appear like anxiety, regret, etc. Schwartz states that, “As the number of choices increases, as it has in our consumer culture, the autonomy, control, and liberation this variety brings are powerful and positive. But as the number of choices keeps growing, negative aspects of having a multitude of options begin to appear” (3). It is safe to say that everyone has personally experienced a situation that Schwartz has presented. Everyone …show more content…
People offered me kind suggestions to which major to pick and the pitfalls of other majors, like the outcome of my life will be determined by the college major I choose. A few lucky college students will know what they want to do for the rest of their lives at age 18, but the majority of the college population like me will spend a significant amount of time trying to figure out which major they want to choose; they will try on multiple majors to which area compliments his or her skills the best. Just like how Barry Schwartz wasted time trying on multiple jeans to see which one complimented his looks the best. I’ve tried on just two different pairs of “Jeans” in my 2 year college career so far; accounting and psychology. With all two pairs were an extremely uncomfortable fit and did not compliment my skills at all. I wasted at least a year of schooling taking degree classes that I will more than likely not use in the future, barring a major change of heart. Here is the story of my two year struggle of picking a

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Most college students spend countless hours trying to decide which major to choose; which major fits them the best. However, I had the unique blessing in having my major choose me. I believe that the field of psychology of chose me from a young age. People always feel very comfortable around me and open up to me. Whenever someone I know has an issue or they are feeling emotionally distressed, they outreach to me and we talk about what is bothering them.…

    • 809 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Are you currently in college, but have no idea what you want for a major? If you are, then chances are you aren't alone. There are many people who haven't selected a major yet, and that's fine. You still have enough time to choose a good major, and the following tips will help you make your choice.…

    • 370 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    As stated before, many students who are currently in college have not selected a major. There is nothing wrong with this, and given enough time, everyone will eventually choose a major. If you need help, just look back at the tips that were provided in the article when you need to choose a major.…

    • 432 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    I know it is for my own good I consider myself lucky that I am here and I have better chances of becoming the best. Even so, I am under pressure I am doing my best in my senior year and getting ready for college because people are cheering me telling me that college life is much better and funnier is it? Until now I have options what I am going to study but still I am not sure , so I am considering to major in medicine or a therapist I will explain why one of them . First medicine since when I was young I used to play with the doctor things and checkup my parents and see if their sick so when I grow I realized that I want to be a doctor and take care of my parents and help others who suffer from any kind of diseases . Second therapist I enjoy and interest how the brain works and how to understand people and help them. When I start taking psychology classes I became interested in it more so I am hesitating what I want. I see the both majors there connected to me that I enjoy helping others.…

    • 605 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Barry Schwartz and Andrew Ward in their chapter excerpt "Doing Bette but Feeling Worse: The Paradox of Choice" are explaining how expansion of choices in different areas of our life can lead to less happiness. In our modern society we're value our freedom and autonomy more than anything else; it gives us a strong assurance of well-being and satisfaction in our lives. Freedom means to have a choice, which, as we think, is obviously good thing. But the excess of choices can lead to significant disappointment.…

    • 953 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Throughout almost everyone’s life, there is a focus on the future, more specifically in a future career. As young children, we have the hopes of being doctors, police officers, fairies, and princess. When we grow older we learn about the realities and the limits of our futures. We understand that we cannot be fairies or the Flash. However, the pressure to decide what to do in life is always there. A pressure which is the most prevalent in the first years of college. In “Major Decisions” by James Tunstead Burtchaell he explores the ways that picking a major in college is less of a pathway to a certain career, but more to wider possibilities in the future. The importance in not in the career that can be the final goal but rather the knowledge about…

    • 461 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Stan Lee, creator of many of the Marvel movies, once said, “With great power there must also come… great responsibility.” Free will is like a great power that has been given to us. It can be used for good and evil. As humans, we believe that we have a choice in everything. Thus the idea of free will. But because of that choice there will always be a downside to free will.…

    • 406 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    One of the benefits a person has and will utilize is making choices. As of today, to change your current Major the student fills out a change of major form and simply goes to admissions with their ID and their major is changed. For many students they will forget they will need to follow a new degree plan and transfer plan. I have changed my major 5 times in 6 semesters and at no time had an advisor contacted me asking me what degree plan am I following or what transfer plan.…

    • 895 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Choice or Constraint

    • 2631 Words
    • 8 Pages

    Do young people exercise choice when they engage in acts of crime or are young people constrained or forced to act in socially unacceptable ways?…

    • 2631 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    How do we know what do we want to do when we reach college? Do we have any clue what type of career we want to work in for possibly the rest of lives? How can one know the one thing we love to do if they have never discovered that one thing in your life, your true desire if you have not ventured throughout any possibly mean of education? We have to be open to all the possibilities out there. Open to ideas we may have never heard of, ideas that you may have of thought of negatively but willing to hear out why people think it’s right and therefore leaving your mind open by listening to other people other than yourself. Do things you have never done, give yourself a chance to be all that you can be, all that you want to be.…

    • 552 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Well in college you never really know what you really want to do yet unless you're really determined on what you want to do, with college students changing their major about every other day, my future career that I have decided to do in the future hasn't been fully decided so I have had different changes in my major in the past few months. They have been from Graphic Design to Criminal Justice to Cyber Security but the career that I chose to do this my life about is Criminal Justice, in this career the Criminal Justice system has to deal with a lot of stuff that has to do with Psychology with these characteristics being such as psycho-dynamic, cognitive, behavioral, intelligence and personality.…

    • 761 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Choiceless Choices

    • 1108 Words
    • 5 Pages

    [Type the abstract of the document here. The abstract is typically a short summary of the contents of the document. Type the abstract of the document here. The abstract is typically a short summary of the contents of the document.]…

    • 1108 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    I came into college not really knowing exactly what I wanted to do with the rest of my life, but I knew I wanted to do something in the medical field. My mom being a Physical Therapist, and me always having a special interest in science classes the idea was always there when I thought about my future. I am currently undecided, but have been taking classes on the Medical Biology track and very interested in minoring in something else on the side. But although I am on the Medical Biology track, as I said earlier I am very un-sure as to what specifically I want to do. Medical school being the most prestige opportunity in the medical area I decided to shoot for that and hopefully continue through with it, or find something…

    • 803 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    In the United States we are lucky enough to have a variety of goods and services to choose between. We are a country full of opportunities and choices. You don’t like meat, eat a veggie burger. In some countries people are not so lucky to have these simple choices, for them meat may be the only thing to eat and if they don’t like it they can either eat it or go without eating.…

    • 256 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Psycology Reflective Essay

    • 1304 Words
    • 6 Pages

    When I began college, I was undecided about what to study. Initially, I enrolled as Biology major. I majored in biology for three years of my college career. Because I was not happy or even satisfied, I decided to pursue studying a subject that genuinely grasped my interest. I knew in my heart that whatever I was searching for had to be something I would love doing for the rest of my life or at least most of it. Therefore, I went on an exploration to find that one particular area of study that would be of great significance to me and my future endeavors. I came across Psychology. I didn’t know much about it. All I knew was that I took it during my freshman year because it was a requirement to take Psychology 101. The entire time while I was reminiscing about this class, all I could remember was the professor lecturing about the human mind and why people do what they do. I found it to be sort of interesting and I said, “Hey, why not give it a try?”…

    • 1304 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays