The Paradox of Choice

I've been somewhat dissatisfied with many of my wet shaving purchases lately. Its this ennui I feel when I get a package with the latest soap from an artisan or merchant and then after sniffing the tub and shaving with it once, I shrug my shoulders, mildly dissatisfied and toss the tub into the box in the basement where its likely never to be used again. The performance may be good but often the scent hasn't lived up to its hype or its just another iteration of a scent used by several other soap makers. Now don't get me wrong, I still enjoy my morning shave and there are definitely some artisans whose products I find very satisfying. Despite that, I still find myself clicking the buy and then kicking myself later swearing that in future I will be more disciplined and will only buy from that select group of artisans that I know will deliver what I expect in a satisfactory manor.

So whats going on? Why do I feel that way? Well, I read an interesting article this morning entitled The Paradox of Choice and it seems to offer at least a partial explanation - too much choice. In any case, if you're perhaps feeling the same as I am, give the article a read and post your thoughts.

Cheers,
Marko




https://www.artofmanliness.com/articles/...f44f6e96dd

I've been somewhat dissatisfied with many of my wet shaving purchases lately.  Its this ennui I feel when I get a package with the latest soap from an artisan or merchant and then after sniffing the tub and shaving with it once, I shrug my shoulders, mildly dissatisfied and toss the tub into the box in the basement where its likely never to be used again.  The performance may be good but often the scent hasn't lived up to its hype or its just another iteration of a scent used by several other soap makers.  Now don't get me wrong, I still enjoy my morning shave and there are definitely some artisans whose products I find very satisfying.  Despite that, I still find myself clicking the buy and then kicking myself later swearing that in future I will be more disciplined and will only buy from that select group of artisans that I know will deliver what I expect in a satisfactory manor.  

So whats going on?  Why do I feel that way?  Well, I read an interesting article this morning entitled The Paradox of Choice and it seems to offer at least a partial explanation - too much choice.  In any case, if you're perhaps feeling the same as I am, give the article a read and post your thoughts.

Cheers,
Marko




https://www.artofmanliness.com/articles/...f44f6e96dd

I am in the middle of trying to limit my choices soap wise. Some of them just don't get used.

Absolutely EFDan , its one of the realities of wet shaving as it stands today that there are some really excellent products out there that are readily available that make some of our formerly beloved very good products seem not quite as good as they once did. Its hard to justify using a very good product when you have a cupboard full of excellent products. Example, when I first started wet shaving I used pucks of Ogallala bay rum soap and I enjoyed it very much. While I still love the scent and use the toners, I find the soap to be not nearly up to the current standard of excellence. I wish Ogallala would reformulate and improve their soap but I doubt they will and its probably for the best because I don't have to worry about buying it and can just let it rest in my memory. There are lots of other examples of soaps that are better than Ogallala but not up to top tier standard. I'm not going to name any others because I don't want to start arguments - that isn't the point of this thread.

I guess I am quite fortunate that I haven't bothered trying new soaps in quite some time as I still find my main soap to be superb, in all aspects, compared to everything out there, new and old. After eight years of almost daily use, I still do not tire of its performance and the plethora of lovely scents. I am very, very fortunate and grateful that it was debuted just as I started this marvelous journey.

There is also a book & this talk on the same subject

https://www.ted.com/talks/barry_schwartz...anguage=en

I've got about 25 soaps, 80% are Barber Shop, Sandalwood, unscented and scents that I knew. The scents that I am not too fond of are the scents that I had no idea what they were. Remember this is just me, I have no desire to have a scent that reminds me of an island off the East River in New York city, or some tropical plant that only grows 4 months a year in some remote jungle off the pacific ocean. My last 2 soaps that I received were soap Commander (honor) and sterling Sandalwood. I am waiting for route 66 Barber Shop to arrive.
The soaps that I am not so fond of I still use, they preform well so I will not put them in the basement. (main reason is that I have no basement in my house) In closing that article you posted is right, too many choices to make, and I agree with your post.

STUARTG74

I finally got to a point where I have my five or so soaps and I’m content. The amount of options eventually became overwhelming to me. I love my Mike’s and a few others. Clarity came to me one day when I was “forced” to use Arko while traveling and no other options were available. I got one of the very best lathers/shaves of my life. It was then that I realized that the difference between shave soaps is really minimal in the grand scheme of things. Sharp blade, water, a slick soap and good technique is all I’ll ever really need. Now, my variety comes with after shaves...

I'm curious what really goes on in my brain when I go out and buy another soap when I've got completely satisfactory products in my den? Its probably an evolutionary survival strategy - what if that one is better? I better try it. Of course our distant ancestors had fewer choices... hmm, I can stand here and be eaten by that sabre tooth cat or I could run like hell and live to pass on my genes to my descendants. Easy choice. Now with the range of choices that nothing of consequence turns on its not so easy. One strategy is to just buy it all but we all know this is the path to discontentment - there's always something more calling to you.

The truly happy person is happy and grateful for that which he has and doesn't even think about that which he doesn't have.

Perhaps you're experiencing FOMO - Fear Of Missing Out. We try new products becasue its possible the particular one will be THE hot item - at least for a while. And by having acquired it ahead of the masses, we gain some satisfaction in being among the first.

Or may be, like me, you just like to try new things - especially soaps. My latest was buy was Shannon's Soaps Haymarket Vetiver. I thinks its a winner unlike Henri et Victoria Chestnut Orange (the scent didn't resonate with me)

I have experienced some of the same myself. And for that reason I won't buy any soap or aftershave until I've tried a sample first. It usually saves me some pain. But I won't ever complain about the huge volume of choices at our disposal since not all that long ago we had very few choices of things. Eventually things will flesh themselves out.