I watched the TED video of Barry Schwarts explaining the concept of the ‘paradox of choice’. Several things contained within Mr. Schwarts speech made me realize how much many options are available to us in nearly every aspect of our life. It also made me remember a conversation I had with my father, who is 75 years of age, which was about the amount of television channels that are available on Comcast. He stated that as a child, there were only three channels available. In modern times there are nearly a 1000. I’ve also experienced the paralysis as explained in the video when trying to figure out what channel I want to watch cause there’s been several instances where I could not figure out which channel appealed to me most.

I also agree with his concept that we evaluate the things we own based on the alternatives that are available and can relate with a real life example. Recently, I purchased a brand new Chevy Colorado truck. I’ve come to love this truck dearly because of the utility and comfort it provides. The other day, I test drove a friend’s Toyota Tacoma truck and I was impressed with its handling and acceleration. Although my current truck still provides the same performance and utility as before, I’ve discovered that my satisfaction with my truck has lessened because of the availability of an equal alternative, the Tacoma. It’s unfortunate because I really should be appreciative but I can’t help myself from being a victim of modern consumerism and materialism.