How to Make Better Choices (with Barry Schwartz)
New episode of The Happiness Lab: “How to Make Better Choices (with Barry Schwartz)”
Have you ever stared at a long menu or scrolled endlessly through streaming options and thought, Why is this so hard? Economists might tell you the answer is simple: just do the math. According to rational choice theory, every decision can be solved like a casino bet—calculate how good each option will be, multiply it by the odds of it happening, and pick the one with the highest score.
The problem? Life’s most important choices—who to marry, whether to change jobs, where to live—don’t come with neat numbers attached that we can plug into a spreadsheet. And when we treat them like casino bets, we often end up more anxious and less happy.
That’s why I invited psychologist Barry Schwartz back to The Happiness Lab. Barry (author of The Paradox of Choice and his new book Choose Wisely) argues that wise decision-making is found in purpose, virtues, and the things that enable us to live a good life.
Ready to ditch the spreadsheets and make wiser decisions?
A good decision is one that gets you to things that enable you to live a good life. — Barry Schwartz
How to Make Better Choices
Pay attention to purpose. Before weighing pros and cons, ask “What is this decision really for?” Thinking about purpose—whether it’s family, growth, service, or meaning—clarifies which options matter most.
Resist the urge to quantify. As Barry says, “Quantification has its place. Pretending that you have solved a problem by putting a number on it is not gonna get you to the right place.”
Accept trade-offs. Every choice means giving something up. Wise decision-making is about being clear-eyed about those opportunity costs, not pretending they don’t exist.
Reject the myth of the “perfect” decision. Aim for “right enough,” not “perfect.” There’s no such thing as a perfect choice—and that’s okay.
Match effort to importance. Not every decision deserves equal attention. Save your energy for the ones that really matter.
Feeling overwhelmed by too many options?
We make thousands of choices each day, but all that decision-making can leave us anxious and drained. In Barry’s first appearance on The Happiness Lab, Barry and I discussed choice overload—why more options don’t always make us happier—and we met a woman who simplified her wardrobe to reclaim her peace of mind.
Take Action This Week: The next time you face a big choice, resist the urge to over-quantify. Instead, write down what values and purposes matter most to you right now—and let those guide your decision.
Here’s to making wiser choices that serve a good life, not just a good spreadsheet.
Looking for more?
You can find all our companion guides from this season of The Happiness Lab on DrLaurieSantos.com/Newsletter.
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