The paradox of choice

Every time I go to a restaurant, even a fast food restaurant, I feel overwhelmed. And struggle to make a choice. When its a place that needs choices within choices such as a Chipotle or Qdoba, I dread the experience. And thus end up almost never going to these places.

And so I was delighted when I came across the concept of the paradox of choice. Ironically its not new and even celebrated more than a decade a while ago. And, I'm still wondering how this eluded me for so long.

"The Paradox of Choice - Why More Is Less is a 2004 book by American psychologist Barry Schwartz. In the book, Schwartz argues that eliminating consumer choices can greatly reduce anxiety for shoppers.

Autonomy and Freedom of choice are critical to our well being, and choice is critical to freedom and autonomy. Nonetheless, though modern Americans have more choice than any group of people ever has before, and thus, presumably, more freedom and autonomy, we don't seem to be benefiting from it psychologically.
    — quoted from Ch.5, The Paradox of Choice, 2004"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Paradox_of_Choice

In a TED talk the author of the book, "Psychologist Barry Schwartz takes aim at a central tenet of western societies: freedom of choice. In Schwartz's estimation, choice has made us not freer but more paralyzed, not happier but more dissatisfied."

 
And 10 years after the book, Pacific Standard published an interview with the author.
"The Paradox of Choice, 10 Years Later
Paul Hiebert talks to psychologist Barry Schwartz about how modern trends—social media, FOMO, customer review sites—fit in with arguments he made a decade ago in his highly influential book, The Paradox of Choice: Why More Is Less.
https://psmag.com/social-justice/paradox-choice-barry-schwartz-psychology-10-years-later-96706

And several years later, I find that the paradox is alive and thriving, unbeknownst to many of us.