"Good enough": why those who always look for the best often feel worse

Herbert Simon’s idea of "satisficing" (1956), Barry Schwartz’s research on "maximisers" (2002) and the study of students looking for jobs: higher pay, lower satisfaction

2 min read

Translated from the Albanian original by the editors. Shqip

Download PDF Share
Illustration: a balanced pair of scales, a symbol of the "good enough" choice
Original illustration by the lexoshpejt editors. Not a historical photograph or object.
Settings

Line spacing

Typeface

Appearance

In 1956 the American economist and psychologist Herbert Simon, who later received the Nobel Prize in economics, proposed a simple idea: in real life people do not have the time and information to always find the optimal choice. Often they choose the first option that is "good enough". He called this strategy by a new English word, satisficing, combining "satisfy" and "suffice".

The maximisers

In 2002 the psychologist Barry Schwartz and colleagues created a questionnaire to measure how much someone is a maximiser, a person who always seeks the best, and how much a "satisficer". Maximisers, for example, often switch television channels, compare at length before every purchase and imagine alternative lives.

Their studies found that maximisers reported on average less happiness, less optimism, more regret and more depressive symptoms. They compared themselves with others more often and felt more regret after decisions.

The first-job study

In 2006 Sheena Iyengar, Rachael Wells and Barry Schwartz followed hundreds of students looking for their first job after graduating. The maximisers found jobs with salaries about 20 per cent higher. But they were less satisfied with the job they chose, and during the search they felt more stressed, anxious and depressed. "Doing better but feeling worse" was the title of the study.

The best option does not always exist. But the endless search for it does, and it has a cost.

When it makes sense to maximise

This does not mean you should always choose the first thing that comes along. For big, irreversible decisions, such as an operation, a house or a long contract, careful comparison is worth it. The problem arises when the same approach is used for everything, from toothpaste to the evening's restaurant.

How to become a little more "good enough"

  1. Set your criteria in advance. When an option meets them, choose it.
  2. Limit the time or the number of options for small decisions.
  3. Do not constantly compare yourself with others' choices.
  4. After deciding, close the door. Stop looking for alternatives "just to see".
  5. Practise gratitude for what you chose, instead of regret for what you did not.

Sources and further reading

  1. Simon, H. A. (1956). Rational choice and the structure of the environment. Psychological Review, 63(2), 129–138. PubMed
  2. Schwartz, B., Ward, A., Monterosso, J. et al. (2002). Maximizing versus satisficing: Happiness is a matter of choice. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 83(5), 1178–1197. PubMed
  3. Iyengar, S. S., Wells, R. E. & Schwartz, B. (2006). Doing better but feeling worse: Looking for the "best" job undermines satisfaction. Psychological Science, 17(2), 143–150. PubMed

Read on