Maximisers and satisficers and how you can stay content :)

I came across this concept in a book I've already mentioned in a previous post, The Unexpected Joy of the Ordinary by Catherine Gray, and didn't consider that it would attach itself to me so significantly after I finished the book. The concept is that of an aspect of personality types, split into maximisers and satisficers. But what are they? Simply put, maximisers are "people who strive to get the very best of every decision" as Psychology Today succinctly described, whilst satisficers are content with ANY decision. Maximisers deliberate a birthday present for hours, if not days, whilst their satisficer counterparts will pick the first one that looks relatively appropriate. Maximisers will search through thousands of jobs to find the description they desire, whereas satisficers will apply to a job they can do. If presented with a box of chocolates, the maximisers will look at the carefully curated list of explanations of fillings, and a satisficer will take a random pick. Here, it's important to stress that no one is 100% either maximiser or satisficer, especially when it comes to their hobbies or interests and many people will have more of a 70:30 ratio.

I am a naturally born satisficer, whereas my mum and twin are both the opposite. Both types have their strengths and weaknesses (illustrated through my sheer lack of perfectionism) but, why does all this even matter? In our choice infested society being a maximiser is becoming something more likely to hinder your contentedness detrimentally. Think about every action and decision you can make today. The "what shall we watch on Netflix today?" question is becoming so long that you probably spend more time deciding than actually watching what you have picked. When grocery shopping, we are inundated with options - cereals, same cereals with different brands, same brands with different flavours - it becomes overwhelming. I'm not surprised my mum returns from the shops, having said initially she was "nipping" to Sainsbury's armed with a list, 3 hours later with a boot full o' bags. Even in today's modern dating scene, as Aziz Ansari pointed out in his well-researched Modern Romance (which I would recommend listening to on Audible - he narrates it hilariously), the choice presented at our fingertips means that we can reject a potential partner at one glance and swipe of the screen, knowing that there will be hundreds, if not thousands, more individuals waiting for scrutiny. Being a maximiser means that regardless of the choice made, there will almost be a voice at the back of the head whispering "what if?". What if there was something better? What if I had chosen that instead of this?

I did mention earlier that both have their strengths, and this isn't too be overlooked by any means. Maximisers are proven to achieve better grades and salaries in general than the satisficers, given their meticulous nature and tendencies of perfectionism. However, this also means that satisficers are content with a decision they have made, even if something better comes around. Also, they are a lot less likely to experience regret or annoyance, meaning they generally feel more content with what they have. Another aspect that left me slightly amused was that even after a maximiser reaches, what they believe to be, the 'perfect' decision, the levels of happiness still don't exceed those of the satisficers. Unsurprisingly, they have become so stressed during this process that the end barely alleviates this.

To all the naturally born maximisers, I applaud you, there have been many situations in which I have envied the level of perfectionism and care that goes into each decision. However, stay aware that there is almost never a 'perfect' decision and an endless search for the best of the best will most likely strain the contentedness you feel after this. If you struggle with making simple decisions, there are many ways that this stress can be avoided, one of my favourites being - let someone else shortlist your decision before you are faced with the choice. Sometimes, the fewer options you have, the more likely you are to feel satisfied with what you chose.