by Ana Lisette Thorup
“Choice, happiness, and spaghetti sauce” is a TED talk given by Malcom Gladwell, a journalist and author of “Tipping Point” and “Blink”. During the talk, he spoke about American market researcher and psychophysicist Howard Moskowitz’s detailed study of types of spaghetti sauce and the larger argument about the nature of choice and happiness.
Howard Moskowitz realized that food companies would sit people down, and ask the people what they wanted in, say, a spaghetti sauce. No one ever said they wanted a specific type of sauce. People don’t know what they want. An important step into understanding our own desires is to realize that we can’t always explain what we want. The data showed that “all Americans fall into one of three groups: people who like their… sauce plain, people who like their… sauce spicy, and people who like their… sauce extra chunky” Gladwell expressed that “of those three facts, the third one was the most significant”, because no one had ever (in the previous studies) said that they liked extra chunky spaghetti sauce. People are different. Food companies were always looking for the perfect item that pleased everyone. Well, that’s virtually impossible.
I believe that being allowed more choices does not necessarily lead to greater happiness in all cases. A consumer may find themselves searching for the “best” choice, leading to being overwhelmed in choices. I know that when I am faced with having to choose one option out of many desirable choices, I consider missed opportunities. Afterwards, my choice affects the level of satisfaction I experience from my decision. With each decision, we are all constructing an identity for all the world to see and judge us by. This raises the pressure on making the right decision.
Embracing one’s multiple sides often takes more time, but it is a more honest and ultimately more valuable way to make important choices. Decisions may come with less certainty, but more connection to life and humanity. Embodying only one aspect of your self when making decisions may make decisions more cut and dried. When it all comes down to it, I believe that sometimes, just being satisfied with what you have, leads to the greatest sense of well being.
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