Paradox of Choice

[anuradha]

I think the increasing number of different brands and models of cubes in the recent past as a good thing. However, the following talk by Barry Schwartz made me wonder if that affects our satisfaction levels when selecting and buying cubes.

http://www.ted.com/talks/barry_schwartz_on_the_paradox_of_choice.html

Any thoughts please?

 

[qqwref]

Satisfaction when selecting and buying cubes doesn't really matter. What matters is the overall result (how fast you are), and it seems to me that if you have good reviewers more types of cubes is definitely more useful. And if you don't have good reviewers, it's not all that expensive to just buy a few different types to try

 

[anuradha]

... it's not all that expensive to just buy a few different types to try

That's what I do! But even so, there is still room for dissatisfaction.

E.g.: One cube gets me best times but pops once in a while, the other one never pops but times are slightly worse. What should be my choice for a competition? If the popping of the first cube is not that common, I would probably take the risk and use it. But if it does pop during the competition, I would end up blaming myself for the wrong choice. If I select the second one and end up with not-so-good times, the afterthought may be "I should have selected the other one because pops are not that common".

Either way, I might end up blaming myself if things don't go well.

Having said that, I am all for having more and more choices! ;-)

 

[Tim Major]

E.g.: One cube gets me best times but pops once in a while, the other one never pops but times are slightly worse. What should be my choice for a competition? If the popping of the first cube is not that common, I would probably take the risk and use it. But if it does pop during the competition, I would end up blaming myself for the wrong choice. If I select the second one and end up with not-so-good times, the afterthought may be "I should have selected the other one because pops are not that common".

Either way, I might end up blaming myself if things don't go well.

[slightly off topic rant]
Haha, this brought back memories of my average that I've blabbed about to everyone who will listen (comp average), 12, 13, 12, 17, 17 pop.
It would've been a high 12 average, pb, and in comp.
I'm wishing I'd use my A-V now...
[/rant]

 

[Dene]

See this is what Psychologists do for a living. He even dresses like me!

 

[Gaétan Guimond]

(11:03:38 AM) Dene: killermanp0: btw do you know what "EG" stands for?
(11:04:28 AM) killermanp0: yeah -- (11:04:34 AM) killermanp0: Erik and Guimmoind


I look Guimmoind my name is Guimond

 

[eastamazonantidote]

Does the set of all sets that do not contain themselves contain itself?

 

[anders]

Off-topic:
Well, EG stands for Erik-Gunnar. (http://www.speedsolving.com/wiki/index.php/EG_Method)

(11:03:38 AM) Dene: killermanp0: btw do you know what "EG" stands for?
(11:04:28 AM) killermanp0: yeah -- (11:04:34 AM) killermanp0: Erik and Guimmoind


I look Guimmoind my name is Guimond