Most of us say it’s good to have more choices to go with, instead of just one thing that we have to stick with no matter what. However, a new study in consumer behavior comes to show that, where options are concerned, having too many is actually detrimental to us. Having too much choice often leads to depression and feelings of uncertainty because we can’t tell anymore if we’ve made the right choice or not.

From television channels to the types of milk or fruit available in supermarkets, the sheer amount of variants is overwhelming. In fact, there are so many things to choose from that we’re torn by uncertainty and doubts as to whether we made the right choice or not, researchers say. At the same time, while we’re focusing on picking the right thing for us, we’re actually losing sight of what could be good for society, as we become increasingly selfish.

Conducted on Americans by researchers led by Professor Hazel Rose Markus of Stanford University’s Department of Psychology, the study also reveals that, ironically enough, Americas constantly hear of their freedom, their choices and self-determination. At the same time, the wide array of choices available does nothing in terms of improving subjective well-being. On the contrary, a decrease is noticeable in direct relation to how large the number of options is.

“We cannot assume that choice, as understood by educated, affluent Westerners, is a universal aspiration, and that the provision of choice will necessarily foster freedom and well-being. Even in contexts where choice can foster freedom, empowerment, and independence, it is not an unalloyed good. Choice can also produce a numbing uncertainty, depression, and selfishness. And even what counts as a ‘choice’ may be different for non-Westerners than it is for Westerners,” Prof. Markus says.

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