Too many books to read

The idea that too many options cause anxiety was explored in Barry Schwartz’s The Paradox of Choice—a book that I haven’t read because there are too many books to read.

Schwartz argues, I’m told, that the abundance of choice in modern society has become a source of distress rather than some kind of liberation.

When faced with too many options—like choosing a career path, someone to marry, or a Netflix show to watch—we often end up paralyzed by fear. We procrastinate on decisions to avoid making the wrong choice, and even after we finally do decide, we’re haunted by the thought that maybe one of the other options would have turned out better.

This is both a bug and a feature.

Some of the most successful companies in the world have recognized an opportunity in this choice paralysis and have made a conscious effort to limit their offerings.

In-N-Out Burger has a stubbornly minimal menu that hasn’t changed since the 1950s. And when Steve Jobs returned to Apple in 1997, one of his first moves was to slash the product line by two-thirds.

Sometimes the kindest thing you can do for someone is not to ask them too many questions.