I do a lot of my shopping online. A LOT. If I could get fresh groceries to my door, I'd order those online too. I like the convenience and the variety. However, this weekend while I was researching mechanical keyboards, I realized that online shopping and the new culture of reviewing can drive me to insanity sometimes.
Here's how it goes. Yesterday, I'm in Best Buy and I see this snazzy keyboard. I run my fingers over it and---ooh, it's soooo clicky. *gets hearts in eyes* But it's a gaming keyboard and doesn't have Mac keys and is kind of pricey, so I'm like--I'll go home and research.
See, a few months ago, I saw a post on Dear Author about mechanical keyboards. I love the idea of a clicky keyboard and I loved that these types of keyboards are supposed to help you type faster and reduce typing fatigue.
I'm on my computer all day and type thousands of words a day (well, that's the plan most days at least, lol) and that comes with its own aches and pains even if I'm diligent about posture and ergonomic stuff. But, at the time, I didn't click buy on a keyboard because I couldn't feel it in person.
Then, Best Buy happened and that was the tipping point on wanting one of these keyboards. So this should be easy, right? Go home, google mechanical keyboards for Macs and choose one. Yeah. I wish. No, instead, this is where the insanity begins.
I don't want a mechanical keyboard for Mac. I was THE BEST FOR ME keyboard. And I want to know everything about my choices. So this means hours of reading reviews online, watching YouTube videos of the choices, and putting out a call on social media to friends, asking if they have this type of keyboard and what are their thoughts. Many hours later, I end up ordering this one: Matias Tactile Pro Mini because a) it's white and matches my Mac better b) doesn't have the ten key pad so it won't take up too much room and C) has this delicious clicky sound (click play on video to hear). Ahh...
But the decision took FOREVER and sucked up all my evening. If I hadn't done research, I would've ended up with a different one, but that's not the point. The point is that buying one simple thing can be this maddening time suck because I'm what Gretchen Rubin of The Happiness Project would call a Maximizer.
Here are her definitions of a Satisficer and a Maximizer
"Satisficers are those who make a decision or take action once their criteria are met. That doesn’t mean they’ll settle for mediocrity; their criteria can be very high; but as soon as they find the car, the hotel, or the pasta sauce that has the qualities they want, they’re satisfied.
Maximizers want to make the optimal decision. So even if they see a bicycle or a photographer that would seem to meet their requirements, they can’t make a decision until after they’ve examined every option, so they know they’re making the best possible choice."
I'm am very much a maximizer. There are some exceptions. I'm a satisficer when it comes to cars, purses, shoes, beauty products, and clothes. Basically, things that aren't all that important to me. "Good enough" is good enough for me in those categories. But for most other things--office supplies, computers, grocery stores, planners, furniture, kitchen equipment, household things, I want the BEST choice.
And the bad thing about that is not just the time it takes to read all those reviews and watch videos and basically obsess over a decision, Rubin has found in her research that Satisficers or those who are cool with "good enough" are happier people. Because Maximizers get anxiety about making the wrong decision.
Now, this doesn't mean I can change myself, lol. But sometimes I wish I could dial it down a little. Like, this keyboard is on its way to me. But I'm not 100% committed yet. I'm going to try it and if it isn't exactly what I want, I'll send it back and try the other one I was tempted by. Sigh. The cycle continues. (This is also what gets me in trouble with my writing, too--perfectionism. Must find the perfect word.)
So how about you? Does anyone suffer from this same "must read every review" syndrome? Tell me I'm not the only one, lol. Or do you find doing this for certain things but not for others?