Paradox of choice: The basis of both frugality and anti-mustachianism?

[Left Bank]

Hello fellow mustachians,

I have recently made some observations and I wanted to post to bring them up for discussion.

This weekend, I heard a TED talk on NPR by Barry Schwartz about the paradox of choice which can be found here: http://www.ted.com/talks/barry_schwartz_on_the_paradox_of_choice and thought about this topic in relation to our FI and Mustachianism. 

I felt like this talk made a lot of sense.  Please watch the talk, if you’re interested.

So food for thought: 
First, Anti-mustachianism:  Is this behavior a subconscious means of “limiting” oneself and reducing the choices one has?  It is easy to say “I have to have the biggest… the best… because I deserve it (choice limit).”  “Therefore, I have to stay in this crappy job (choice limit).”  These people get to keep their head down and “live” their life without the burden of thinking about their true options.

Second, Is Mustaschianism self-deception?  I think it could be argued that during this time of frugal living and saving we have set our lives to limit choices.  We save X% of our income and spend in a manner that is frugal which, in effect, limits our choices and ultimately makes ourselves happier.  But then it happens.  You realize that you are FI and can now follow the dogma of choice=freedom and freedom=happiness and realize that perhaps it is not so simple.   This may be the basis of one-more-year syndrome.

I feel like I am witnessing this in my own life.  My wife and I are early/mid forties and  have recently reached FI.  With this I have noticed that our grand plans of what to do next keep changing so much so that in the past year this resulted in very little getting done.  Too many options, leading to plan paralysis and ultimately life dissatisfaction because there is unstated pressure for us to make the right/best choice in what we do next with our lives. 

I’d appreciate your thoughts.

[matchewed]

Is there a single way of living that isn't a form of self-deception?

With all the infinite numbers of ways to live out there and the means and resources that people have in mostly industrial nations choosing any one path is not choosing another, even standing still and not choosing is itself a choice.

For example you can take from your first point and just insert a different way of living. It is easy to say "I have to have that which fits into my value system (the biggest/best/cheapest/frugalist [sp?]/insert description here) because it fits within an artificial construct of why I want it (I deserve it/need it/want it/derive pleasure from it/insert reason here).

[hedge]

My wife and I were talking about this yesterday. We are finding contentment with limiting our lifestyle and focusing on simplicity. It can be very easy to trade that in for discontentment that we aren't FI yet. I think that's a trap. We should embrace and accept the current situation, simplify it to serve us in the present and AS A RESULT it will lead to FI. Easier said than done :)

[Jamesqf]

I think it could be argued that during this time of frugal living and saving we have set our lives to limit choices.

I don't think it in any way limits choices.  Instead, it is a choice that we have made: we still have all those other choices available shoud we change our minds.  Contrast it with the times in our lives (for some of us, anyway), when frugality wasn't a choice.

[Left Bank]

I think it could be argued that during this time of frugal living and saving we have set our lives to limit choices.

I don't think it in any way limits choices.  Instead, it is a choice that we have made: we still have all those other choices available shoud we change our minds.  Contrast it with the times in our lives (for some of us, anyway), when frugality wasn't a choice.

I could see why you say this but by applying frugality we set up guardrails or guidelines for what is acceptable to make choices easier.  For example, I don't care how nice a particular coffee cup looks, I'm not going to pay $20 for it - That is unreasonable in my frugal lifestyle.  The probability of that option approaches zero which is essentially no choice and the decision is easy.

[Jamesqf]

Don't similar guidelines/guardrails apply to just about other areas of life, too?  I think it's all just instances of learning & thinking, rather than blindly reacting to each new stimulus as it happens.