“ On "idea technology"--Science creates ideas, science creates ways of understanding. And in the social sciences, ways of understanding ourselves. And they have an enormous influence on how we think, wh… Barry Schwartz
“ If you shatter the fish bowl so that everything is possible you don't have freedom you have paralysis. Everybody needs a fishbowl. Barry Schwartz
“ We have a tendency to look around at what others are doing and use them as a standard of comparison. Barry Schwartz
“ Satisfaction treadmill. Suppose that in addition to adapting to particular objects or experiences, you also adapt to particular levels of satisfaction. In other words, suppose that with great ingenuit… Barry Schwartz
“ So to make the task of lowering expectations easier: Reduce the number of options you consider. Be a satisficer rather than a maximizer. Allow for serendipity. Barry Schwartz
“ I want a pair of jeans—32–28, I said. Do you want them slim fit, easy fit, relaxed fit, baggy, or extra baggy? she replied. Do you want them stonewashed, acid-washed, or distressed? Do you want them b… Barry Schwartz
“ Decisions as trivial as renting a video become important if we believe that these decisions are revealing something significant about ourselves. Barry Schwartz
“ When you hear the same story everywhere you look and listen, you assume it must be true. Barry Schwartz
“ As I mentioned in Chapter 4, economist Fred Hirsch argued in his book Social Limits to Growth that while technological development may continue to increase the number of people who can be fed from an… Barry Schwartz
“ People tend to avoid taking risks—they are risk averse—when they are deciding among potential gains, potential positive outcomes. Barry Schwartz
“ We are surrounded by modern, time-saving devices, but we never seem to have enough time. Barry Schwartz
“ PEOPLE ARE DRIVEN TO SOCIAL COMPARISON LARGELY BECAUSE they care about status, and status, of course, has social comparison built into it. Barry Schwartz
“ From the perspective of a model of decision making that is future oriented, being sensitive to sunk costs is a mistake. Barry Schwartz
“ You will depend on how you do your accounting. People often talk jokingly about how creative accountants can make a corporate balance sheet look as good or as bad as they want it to look. Well, the po… Barry Schwartz
“ The key point is that maximizers aspire to achieve that goal. Thus, they spend a great deal of time and effort on the search, reading labels, checking out consumer magazines, and trying new products. Barry Schwartz
“ CHOICE HAS A CLEAR AND POWERFUL INSTRUMENTAL VALUE; IT enables people to get what they need and want in life. Barry Schwartz
“ So is a theory about human nature a discovery, or is it an invention? I believe that often, it is more invention than discovery. I think that ideas, like Adam Smith’s, about what motivates people to w… Barry Schwartz
