THE CHOICE OF PARADOX was written by Barry Schwartz, and published in 2004. The author considers the idea that people often regret the choices they make. In his opinion, this occurs because we have too many choices. When deciding, we tend to seek out the best possible outcome. Too many choices can take up too much of our time and energy. We get tired and make mistakes easily when we consider too much information about these choices. After investing so much time and effort into this decision, we are inclined to maintain high expectations of this choice. Furthermore, we can't help but wonder about the possible outcomes had we chosen differently. As a result, we often find it difficult to feel satisfied with our choices. What's more, if we find reason to regret our decision, we may feel bitterly disappointed. Since choosing is an independent process, when unhappy with the decision, we only have ourselves to blame.
The following are some of the author's suggested solutions for these problems.
1. To decrease opportunities that generate choices, stick with what you always buy unless you're dissatisfied.
2. Accept "good enough" instead of "best" to simplify decision-making and increase satisfaction.
3. Try to be grateful for and satisfied with more things in every aspect of life, rather than simply resigning yourself to them. A positive outlook lessens the need to make comparisons to other people's lives, and it makes regret less likely.
He released his debut album, Let Love Rule, in 1989. I bought a CD of it and really liked it. So when I knew he would have a few concerts in Japan the next year, I immediately got tickets for one of them in Tokyo. The venue was Club Quattro
.
Unfortunately, all the concerts were cancelled due to his illness. I wish I could have seen him at such a small place like Club Quattro
, whose capacity is about 800 people.
He came to Japan in 1991 after releasing his second album, Mama Said. When I went to a concert of the tour, the venue was bigger. It was at NHK
Hall, which has 3500 seats, and I watched him from the third floor. I remember his frantic dancing and a Japanese singer, Kiyoshiro Imawano, appearing on the stage and introducing Lenny before his band played.