Concept · Time & Prioritization
Paradox of Choice
Origin: Barry Schwartz (2004)
Biological Parallel
Female guppies presented with 2-3 males choose quickly and mate. Presented with 10+ males, they freeze, sampling repeatedly without committing. Excessive choice overwhelms cognitive capacity—each comparison depletes glucose and attention. The paradox of choice isn't human neuroticism; it's computational overload. Brains evolved for small-scale decisions (which berry bush, which mate) collapse when options exceed working memory. Decision quality degrades, anxiety spikes, and paralysis follows.