In The Paradox of Choice (Harper, 2005), Barry Schwartz describes his research on two groups of people that he calls Maximizers and Satisficers: Maximizers only accept the best. Every time they make a purchase (or do anything else), they need to be sure they’ve made the best possible decision. Satisficers are willing to settle for “good enough.” These people still have expectations and standards, but they’re willing to settle for something other than the absolute best in order to save time, money, or effort.
