M A X I M I Z I N G or satisficing?

In Barry Schwartz' book titled "The Paradox of Choice," he elaborates on our everyday choices and  expands on the idea of maximizers versus satisficers. Schwartz defines a maximizer as someone who seeks and accepts only the best. On the opposite end of the scale is a satisficer - someone who is willing to settle for something that is good enough and not worry about the possibility that there might be something better. The picture below is a good representation of the process each one goes through, as well as the outcome of their choices. 

The last two days I found myself being the ultimate maximizer - and it is frusturating! My boyfriend and I were visiting a new city and when we got into town it was about lunch time. We were both hungry and neither had a preferance, just food. As we walked the streets of downtown, there were multiple restaurant options that looked good. We weren't to the end of the street yet and the hunger grew, but what if there was something better at the other end?! So we continued walking. Before long we reached the last place on the last corner of main street. We thought this had to be the place so we walked in and it was nothing like we thought. There was about three menu options (none of which were appealing), so we walked back outside and the search continued. In the end, we ended up eating at the first restaurant we saw because it looked to be the best option. By the time we got our food, we were hardly hungry anymore and the quality of the meal was extremely low, leaving us both very dissapointed.

I thought after reading this book and becoming aware of the downfalls of being a maximizer, I would surely not make this mistake any more. I was wrong. It is so easy to think there must be something better, and continue a search for something, even though what is right in front of us satisfies the need.

It is important to become aware of these things to avoid pitfalls, however it is not foolproof. We are all humans and as humans we easily sink into habits - whether its a habit of being a maximizer or a satisficer.