The Advantages of Closing a Few Doors

…Dan Ariely’s new book, ‘Predictably Irrational,’ an entertaining look at human foibles like the penchant for keeping too many options open. “Closing a door on an option is experienced as a loss, and people are willing to pay a price to avoid the emotion of loss,” Dr. Ariely says… So what can be done? One answer, he says, is to develop more social checks on overbooking. He points to marriage as an example: ‘In marriage, we create a situation where we promise ourselves not to keep options open. We close doors and announce to others we’ve closed doors.’”