Quora精選：是否選擇少一些，人就會(huì)變得更快樂(lè)？

Q: Will people be happier if they are given less choices?

問(wèn)：是否選擇少一些，人就會(huì)變得更快樂(lè)？

Answered by David Paul

I believe so.

我認(rèn)為是的。

From a consumer decision stand point, a company stands to benefit when they offer a limited number of choices.

從消費(fèi)者決策的角度來(lái)說(shuō)，當(dāng)一個(gè)公司只提供有限的商品以供選擇時(shí)，這個(gè)公司更可能獲利。

Apple is a great example of this. There product lineup is incredibly simple and the choices are fairly limited. By giving you less choices you spend last time fretting about your options.

蘋(píng)果公司就是一個(gè)很好的例子。他們的產(chǎn)品陣容極其簡(jiǎn)單，選擇相當(dāng)有限，你反而不會(huì)過(guò)于糾結(jié)到底要買(mǎi)哪個(gè)。

I also think of Blockbuster vs Red Box. The last time I stepped foot in a Blockbuster I was filled with anxiety about the number of choices. I wanted to make the "best" choice and to do so I felt like I had to consider all the titles. In the end I walked out empty handed. Compare that to Red Box where you have a finite number of decent choices. In this case you can make your decision much quicker.

我還想到了Blockbuster和Red Box（兩者均為DVD租賃公司）。我最后一次光顧Blockbuster的時(shí)候，林林總總的碟片讓我產(chǎn)生難以選擇的焦慮感。我想挑一部最值得看的電影，為此恨不得把每一部都翻來(lái)瞧瞧，最終空手而歸。相比之下，Red Box提供有限并且比較優(yōu)質(zhì)的碟片以供選擇。這樣你就能更快地做出選擇了。

In summary, my anecdotal evidence would suggest that most consumers would prefer to spend less time researching and agonizing over making the optimal decision and more time actually engaging in activities.

總之，我的例子表明，大多數(shù)消費(fèi)者不愿花時(shí)間為最優(yōu)方案琢磨傷神，而是希望用更多的時(shí)間來(lái)體驗(yàn)選擇后的結(jié)果。

I would love to hear from Quora users exceptions and counter examples as I am sure that there are many.

我相信這兒有許多和我觀點(diǎn)相左的Quora用戶(hù)，你們的觀點(diǎn)和例證我愿聞其詳。

Answered by Naman Kumar

Maybe but that won't be sustainable as you are going against growth and evolution; its essentially regression.

也許給予的選擇越少就會(huì)越快樂(lè)，但這種“逆生長(zhǎng)”的狀態(tài)不會(huì)持續(xù)很久——因?yàn)榇藸顟B(tài)的本質(zhì)即為退化。

People would be more happier once they overcome through the dilemma of choice. I think this is best done by first figuring out what you want and then going to the market rather than going to the market and then trying to find what you want, literally and metaphorically. Of course this is impractical in many cases but that's where the fun starts. That will help you figure out what you "really" want.

當(dāng)人們走出選擇的困境時(shí)，他們會(huì)更快樂(lè)。我認(rèn)為最好的辦法就是想好你想要什么再去買(mǎi)，而不是到了地方才去想。其他選擇亦是如此。當(dāng)然，這個(gè)方法在很多情況下并不適用，但那正是趣味所在。那將幫你弄清自己真正想要的是什么。

So the dilemma of choice is actually an opportunity for self-discovery and growth. Foregoing happiness temporarily in that process is simply a part of that turmoil that leads to a higher level of contentment and, as you call it, happiness.

因此，兩難的選擇實(shí)際上也是自我發(fā)現(xiàn)和提升的機(jī)會(huì)。在這個(gè)過(guò)程中，放棄一時(shí)的愉悅不過(guò)是痛苦的一部分，但這種痛苦會(huì)給你帶來(lái)更大的滿(mǎn)足感，即你所說(shuō)的幸福。