https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/satisficer-or-maximiser Style Advice for Fashion Lovers en-US Sun, 26 Apr 2026 18:49:41 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 q https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/search.php https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/satisficer-or-maximiser#post-1729948 Wed, 21 Sep 2016 03:29:06 +0000 jacquez 1729948@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Every time I try to maximize -- every time I really feel like a topic NEEDS research -- I end up with decision paralysis and end up unhappy and with nothing. Which is, I guess, a great money-saver....&nbsp;</p> <p>In general I'm much happier if I have strict standards and stick with them. This is especially necessary with my wardrobe, I think -- because I have a small waist and wide hips AND a big butt, I am very fierce about checking waist/hip ratios and examining cuts to make sure they have enough butt room. (Talbots curvy cut, for example, assigns too much fabric to the belly area and not enough to the butt for me. I don't care how nice their stuff is, I'm not buying it ever.)&nbsp;</p> <p>One of my friends has a standard that I *love* for certain kinds of purchases, like small appliances and whatnot -- buy the second-cheapest thing that meets your needs. The cheapest thing is going to have some important corner you haven't thought about cut, is her reasoning, and so the second-cheapest thing is going to be distinguishing itself and justifying the extra few dollars on NOT cutting that corner. Need an alarm clock? Second cheapest. Toaster? Second cheapest. etc. &nbsp;So far applying this to those kinds of purchases has not steered me wrong! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/satisficer-or-maximiser#post-1729933 Wed, 21 Sep 2016 02:11:36 +0000 Nishaa 1729933@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Satisficer. Definitely.<br /> What the definition said. All I've done post YLF is sort out my criteria. But I could definitely fit in your description. Though I've never done a Dennis Prager, (haven't bought a house yet) I've rented in the same way.<br /> And there's a concept, less choices, more happiness. So there. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/satisficer-or-maximiser#post-1729911 Wed, 21 Sep 2016 01:36:08 +0000 Suz 1729911@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I think I'm a satisficer, though I'm not sure I fully understand the distinction. Or maybe I'm the "limited happy maximizer"? I don't mind researching a bit; in fact, I quite enjoy it. Reading Angie's blog posts and the Top Picks and roundups and looking at other's WIWs is to me one form of research.&nbsp;</p> <p>But I don't tend to obsess too much about choosing and after the decision is made I don't look back. I always feel better having made a decision.&nbsp;</p> <p>In some areas I am pure saticficer and in others more of a limited maximizer. It depends how important the category is to me and sometimes, on the cost; the bigger the investment, the more likely I am to spend time researching and weighing options.&nbsp;</p> <p>My husband is much more of a maximizer. He does a ton of research about everything and he used to second-guess his decisions a lot, although he does that less in recent years.&nbsp;</p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/satisficer-or-maximiser#post-1729905 Wed, 21 Sep 2016 01:10:48 +0000 Sal 1729905@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Lots of great comments here - I have enjoyed reading the thread.&nbsp;</p> <p>I agree - once I make a decision I feel better about things - and I have made wrong choices too. &nbsp;I am struggling this year as we have a HUGE thing looming that is not in my control but will affect our business and life (in a positive way). &nbsp;No knowing is a real challenge... "if X goes ahead" is a constant phrase.</p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/satisficer-or-maximiser#post-1729609 Tue, 20 Sep 2016 13:32:24 +0000 Anonymous 1729609@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I think I fit squarely into the Satisficer category, married to a Maximiser.</p> <p>I can't understand people who have trouble making decisions. I shop around a lot, but am almost always happy with my choices. I don't usually second guess myself. The funny thing about my DH is that he shops around <b>a lot</b>, and usually ends up buying the first thing he considers. Once he makes a purchase, though, he's very happy. We end up in the same place; it just takes him a lot longer, lol.</p> <p> </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/satisficer-or-maximiser#post-1729416 Tue, 20 Sep 2016 01:31:15 +0000 Caro in Oz 1729416@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>It's a sliding scale for me. I try not to over-think the small decisions. I agree that second-guessing a decision leads to dissatisfaction. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/satisficer-or-maximiser#post-1729346 Mon, 19 Sep 2016 23:22:46 +0000 unfrumped 1729346@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I'm a dissatisficed satisficer! I get overwhelmed with the options( yes, Internet) and feel guilty that I've not done enough research but I want to be satisfied with just charging ahead, but someone will always talk about the million other options and how they got the BEST thing/ deal, and have you seen this or that, and I go into a swoon.<br /> So I have not been able to remodel my kitchen.... </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/satisficer-or-maximiser#post-1729338 Mon, 19 Sep 2016 23:08:42 +0000 Aziraphale 1729338@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Satisficer for sure, in fashion and in everything else. I don't like having things hanging over my head, so like Vildy says: once the decision is made, I don't have to think about it anymore, and I'm happy.&nbsp;</p> <p>Also, in my life, time is more valuable than money. It's a non-renewable resource, and I never, ever have enough of it. Time spent searching for the "perfect" thing is often time wasted, which I will never get back! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/satisficer-or-maximiser#post-1729326 Mon, 19 Sep 2016 22:41:50 +0000 Vildy 1729326@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Wow, love Rachey's philosophy:<br /> I'm all about keeping it moving forward in all things. It's part of my management philosophy of life.</p> <p>I have a degree from Wharton, more proof it didn't take. :D</p> <p>OTOH, I'm pretty totally a satisficer.&nbsp; Friend told me ages ago that whatever decision people make, they are happier. If only because they made a decision. </p> <p>Once heard Denis Prager, on the radio, explain how he bought a house. He bought the first one he saw that satisfied his needs in a house and that he could afford. Real estate agent surprised he bought the first one she showed him. Didn't he want to see more and compare? Nope, he says. Why, if this one works?</p> <p>I also like things that are pretty basic. I love my coffemaker. Says right in the manual: this does ONE thing only, make coffee. Does not do anything else. Does not keep it warm. Best coffeemaker I ever had. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/satisficer-or-maximiser#post-1729246 Mon, 19 Sep 2016 20:17:47 +0000 Sal 1729246@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I am not an expert on this and these are neat boxes that many people don't fit neatly into.</p> <p>I have a friend who is a total maximiser. &nbsp;He researches grocery deals, spends an afternoon heading to three or four different stores (organic butchery, organic shop, major supermarket etc) and will go specifically to a different store if they offer a good deal... He carefully researches the best car to buy, environmentally and economically, and then makes sure he gets it at the right price. &nbsp;He actively enjoys this process - will ask for discounts - and gets very annoyed if things go wrong.</p> <p>My approach to grocery shopping is a vague list of what we need, mostly written down but also in my head. &nbsp;If I am near a specialty store I visit, if I am running low on time I just go the major supermarket. &nbsp;I don't research deals or coupons, and sometimes I shop online and pay for delivery. &nbsp;I value my time too highly to do all the research, and don't gain pleasure from the research. &nbsp;If buying a car, I do research, and I ask for discounts, but find it a challenging process. &nbsp;But because it is a major item I make myself go to this effort.</p> <p>That's how I see the difference. &nbsp;I think both my friend and I are happy with our purchases once we get them - my bar is probably lower than his - if the car turned out to be a bad choice, it would upset him more than myself whereas I would probably get over it fairly quickly.</p> <p> </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/satisficer-or-maximiser#post-1729193 Mon, 19 Sep 2016 17:34:59 +0000 Author Linda 1729193@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Pure satisficer. I pretty much know what I want and where to look. I might think about it a little, or do a bit of research, but if the "thing"--car, house, boots, cookware--ticks all the boxes, I purchase and am happy. Do the research, find the thing, buy the thing, enjoy the thing. I enjoy things for a very long time, so tend to buy quality, but hardly ever second-guess whether I bought the absolute best rightest thing at the best price. My thing was the right thing, or I wouldn't have bought it, whatever the price. LOL</p> <p>My husband was a maximizer. He's now much less of one [witness, he married me]. I think he likes my "happy with my things" approach instead of his fretful "I don't have the thing because I don't want to buy the wrong/not quite right/not cheap enough thing" approach. </p> <p>If you want a pure maximizer, I offer the example of my eldest son: he just bought his first house--after talking about doing it for 15 years. *blink* Every year I would listen to him hash out the endless variables of whatever house he was considering. Or if the woman he was seeing was the "right" woman. I told him not to waste his time, or hers, if she wasn't. Be selective. Be diligent. Then make up his mind! He finally did.</p> <p>I don't think maximizers are less happy than satificers, only that they are &nbsp;more likely to find themselves in states of indecision. Perhaps they handle that state better than others do. As I told my son, I couldn't swear he'd be happy once he bought the house, but he was going to feel enormously relieved to have, finally, settled the matter. His wife practically collapsed with joy. I'm not sure what she is on this maximizer/satisficer scale, but she'd been ready to buy a house for years, while her mate couldn't even nail down which city was optimal to live in. [Answer: all of them--you're buying a house, not the entire future of you and your offspring's lives.] In part, I think maximizers enjoy the hunt. Satificers enjoy having hunted and being in the end game.</p> <p>Fun topic! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/satisficer-or-maximiser#post-1729183 Mon, 19 Sep 2016 17:06:02 +0000 Firecracker (Sharan) 1729183@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I'm a satisficer for the most part. If I find myself agonizing over a purchase, it's usually because I haven't found the one that actually meets my criteria. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/satisficer-or-maximiser#post-1729182 Mon, 19 Sep 2016 17:05:09 +0000 rachylou 1729182@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I think the science shows satisficers are more content than maximisers, BUT I don't know that amount of research is the critical difference. I think it has to do with making a choice or not - if you ever really take the decision. If everything is always seen as 'temporary' or not. It's rather like, you're never really happy first and it doesn't matter if you buy or not. What I'm doubtful about is how many 100% maximisers are out there... I doubt there are many. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/satisficer-or-maximiser#post-1729168 Mon, 19 Sep 2016 16:41:03 +0000 MsMary 1729168@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Satisficer all the way. DH is a satisficer, too, which really came in handy when we were planning our ginormous wedding with all those moving parts!</p> <p>I feel like maybe I could stand to be a little more of a maximizer when it comes to my clothes, and I'm working on that! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/satisficer-or-maximiser#post-1729129 Mon, 19 Sep 2016 14:22:03 +0000 Astrid 1729129@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p><i></i>Approprio, that definitely sounds like you are a satisficer! </p> <p>From the linked article:<i></i><br /><i>Satisficers [...] are those who make a decision or take action once their<br /> criteria are met. That doesn’t mean they’ll settle for mediocrity; their<br /> criteria can be very high [...]</i><i></i></p> <p>If you were a maximiser you would first check and research all the other available comparable items before you buy the one you came across. So that you could be sure to buy the best option available in that moment. At least that's how I understood the article.</p> <p>And I don't like the generalization that one is supposed to be happier than the other either. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/satisficer-or-maximiser#post-1729110 Mon, 19 Sep 2016 12:48:00 +0000 approprio 1729110@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I agree with Staysfit that there's a problem with the definition. I'm also doubtful of the idea that satisficers are happier than maximisers.</p> <p>When it comes to clothes, I have high standards and I always hold out for great quality. Once I've found something that meets my requirements, I stop looking to fill that niche and enjoy my purchase. </p> <p>I know if I settle on something just because it happened to be available I'll invariably find a better example later on and wish I'd waited. I also know that if I maximised less and satisficed more, I'd end up with whole lot wardrobe churn from disappointing clothing.</p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/satisficer-or-maximiser#post-1729076 Mon, 19 Sep 2016 09:14:09 +0000 Anonymous 1729076@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I am squarely in the&nbsp;satisficer camp. &nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/satisficer-or-maximiser#post-1729074 Mon, 19 Sep 2016 09:07:07 +0000 Staysfit 1729074@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>So, is a maximizer unsatisfied with their first try, and then they keep trying to get it right? Are they perfectionist to the point where they are unhappy with most choices available to them? How is maximizer defined? </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/satisficer-or-maximiser#post-1729070 Mon, 19 Sep 2016 07:22:13 +0000 Astrid 1729070@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I'm a satisficer too. I usally do some research, most of the time to find things on sale I wouldn't buy full price but that give me the best quality possible for my money. It took a few ours to research posssible rain jackets and look for deals in my size in a color I liked, but as long as the one that I ordered fits I won't look again for a jacket until this one is worn out. As long as my criteria is met I'm happy and I won't keep looking. I just have higher standards than others sometimes... </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/satisficer-or-maximiser#post-1729051 Mon, 19 Sep 2016 04:10:14 +0000 Kaelyn 1729051@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Your original post pretty much summed up the type of shopper I am! I do a bit of research on major purchases and I might compare prices occasionally, but mostly I just want something that meets my needs and I want it ASAP. If I need a change, I'm much more likely to update what I already have than to replace it--I've had the same bedframe since I was a teenager, and if I get sick of white, I will paint it rather than buy a new one. I also tend to be very loyal to certain brands/stores I've had success with in the past. If I need new jeans, Torrid is my first pick. If I need inexpensive basics, I go to Old Navy. If I need housewares, I ask my mom, because she knows everything. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/satisficer-or-maximiser#post-1729044 Mon, 19 Sep 2016 03:36:28 +0000 rachylou 1729044@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Oh, I'm a satisficer 100%. I set my criteria. I make decisions. Then I'm done. I'm all about keeping it moving forward in all things. It's part of my management philosophy of life.</p> <p>Which is why my mother is killing me with her kitchen renovation. Every week for the last year she has told me it's time to make *our* final decisions. Stoooopp, mother, stooopp!!! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/satisficer-or-maximiser#post-1729042 Mon, 19 Sep 2016 03:29:53 +0000 Sal 1729042@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I think 5 maximisers and 2 satisficers so far although of course there is a continuum. &nbsp;</p> <p>I think in an online world where choices are so plentiful it can lead us all into maximising - we don't have to phone around or visit around town to see what is available. &nbsp;Neither is good or bad, but I guess being at the extreme end of either could lead to challenges. &nbsp;</p> <p>Jon is probably also a satisficer with the exception of sports gear. &nbsp;Getting the right pair of running shoes or cycling cleats takes endless research! &nbsp;The area I am pickiest is with kitchen items - I am very fussy about glassware, pots and pans etc, cake mixers and can take a while researching my options. &nbsp;</p> <p>Shevia - absolutely! &nbsp;</p> <p>La Pedestrienne - I agree totally. Too much choice can lead us to be paralysed perfectionists..</p> <p>Alexandra - your shopping technique sounds similar to mine.</p> <p>Maneera - there are advantages in taking your time too. &nbsp;Jon and I have rushed into some purchases and ended up with less than ideal choices, some of which we have had to live with. &nbsp;Our sofa was a big one...</p> <p>Jenn- I know a couple of people quite well who are big instragrammers/facebookers and who have a curated feed. &nbsp;When I actually know what their life is like I can see what an illusion it can be. &nbsp;</p> <p>Diana - sounds like you are a happy maximiser. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/satisficer-or-maximiser#post-1729033 Mon, 19 Sep 2016 02:50:05 +0000 Diana 1729033@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I'm definitely a maximizer. I really enjoy research and I'm a perfectionist. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/satisficer-or-maximiser#post-1729031 Mon, 19 Sep 2016 02:44:12 +0000 Jenn 1729031@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I'm on the maximiser end of the spectrum. I'm especially bad about it with travel. I spend forever comparing amenities/price points/locations and then constantly take notes of which locations/rooms/campsites would have been better choices.</p> <p>With clothing, I often do a lot of shopping and research (see: the leather jacket saga), but once I've decided, I'm good.</p> <p>I think Pinterest/Instagram serve to make satisficing a lot harder. When everyone is posting photos of their seemingly perfectly-curated lives, it's harder to accept the flaws in our choices. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/satisficer-or-maximiser#post-1729023 Mon, 19 Sep 2016 02:13:56 +0000 Maneera 1729023@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I'm a maximiser who wishes she was a satisficer. I take forever to compare things &amp; pick the best option for me, and even then I'm often not 100% satisfied. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/satisficer-or-maximiser#post-1729022 Mon, 19 Sep 2016 02:11:10 +0000 Alexandra 1729022@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I'm a combination of both, but closer to the satisficer end of the spectrum. </p> <p>For expensive things and those that have to last a long time, I do some research to figure out what options/features are available, then narrow it down to the ones that meet my criteria, and buy the best I can afford out of those. When I compare things, the comparison is only on the few criteria that matter to me. Additional bells and whistles are not considered (because then it's apples to oranges, and good luck with that). </p> <p>For inexpensive things and those that are short-term, the first thing that meets my criteria is it. I don't look back. Pricing for me falls into this second bit. I don't buy on price so once I buy something, I don't worry about any price fluctuations. Also, I don't like "deals", and frequent sales make me think there's something wrong with the merchandise if the vendor doesn't value it enough to sell it at full price. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/satisficer-or-maximiser#post-1729013 Mon, 19 Sep 2016 01:35:49 +0000 LaPed 1729013@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Oh gosh, my husband and I both tend toward maximising, which is why home renovations and decorating take us&nbsp;<b>foreverrrr</b>. "Optimal" is actually a sort of tongue-in-cheek punchline we use all the time. It's especially complicated when you have two maximisers with differing criteria... Plus, we each have pet categories. He's much more a satisficer when it comes to wardrobe than I am, while I satisfice w/r/t all things tech. :)</p> <p>Also, I wonder if anyone has investigated the effect of the internet on maximisers vs satisficers. I think the vast wealth of information and options at my fingertips can at times make decision-making basically impossible -- I've had to learn to set limits on the amount of research I do, otherwise I'll never actually make a decision. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/satisficer-or-maximiser#post-1729005 Mon, 19 Sep 2016 01:23:37 +0000 Jaime 1729005@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I am a limited maximser, and definitely prefer not to overthink a decision once it is made in most areas. My husband is an uber maximiser, which is both handy and drives me crazy. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/satisficer-or-maximiser#post-1728999 Mon, 19 Sep 2016 01:18:34 +0000 Sal 1728999@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p><a rel="nofollow" href="http://gretchenrubin.com/happiness_project/2006/06/are_you_a_satis/">http://gretchenrubin.com/happi.....u_a_satis/</a></p> <p>Gretchen Rubin's book came out at least ten years ago, and I am not an expert. &nbsp;But I have always found this topic interesting.</p> <p>I am a satisficer - in most areas of my life. &nbsp;I am not good at shopping around - I am prepared to accept there is something better/cheaper elsewhere that I will not find because I don't spend the time shopping. &nbsp;Once I purchase, as long as my purchase meets my need, I on't really think about it again or upgrade until my hand is almost forced. &nbsp;I don't upgrade my sofa or my bed cover often, nor my kitchenware or garden pots. &nbsp;For large items eg fridge, I will do some research but not very extensive, and I sometimes feel guilty about this.</p> <p>With respect to clothing, I am also a satisficer. &nbsp;If I own a pair of black dressy ankle boots, even if they are not the trendiest, I tend to just wear them until they either wear out or become very dated. I make shopping mistakes, and hand on items before they are worn out, and I do tire of well worn items too. &nbsp;But in the most part if they meet my needs (with respect to looks and fit) I make do with what I already have.</p> <p>How about you - are you a satisficer or a maximiser, and does this differ for fashion and other aspects of your life? </p>