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+date = 2020-10-12
+title = "On the Pursuit of Mediocrity"
+description = "Musings on mediocrity."
++++
+
+# Perfect is the Enemy of Good
+
+As the saying goes, "the best is the enemy of the good." As we strive
+for perfection, we often fail to realize the implications of such an
+undertaking. Attempting to reach perfection is often unrealistic. Even
+worse, it can get in the way of achieving a good outcome. In certain
+situations, we try so hard to achieve the ideal solution that we have
+burned the bridges that would have allowed us to reach a lesser yet
+still superb solution.
+
+Philosophers throughout history have inspected this plight from many
+viewpoints. Greek mythology speaks of the [golden
+mean](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_mean_(philosophy)), which
+uses the story of Icarus to illustrate that sometimes "the middle
+course" is the best solution. In this story, Daedalus, a famous artist
+of his time, built feathered wings for himself and his son so that they
+might escape the clutches of King Minos. Daedalus warns his beloved son
+whom he loved so much to "fly the middle course", between the sea
+spray and the sun's heat. Icarus did not heed his father; he flew up
+and up until the sun melted the wax off his wings. For not heeding the
+middle course, he fell into the sea and drowned.
+
+More recently, management scholars have explored the [Pareto
+principle](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pareto_principle) and found
+that as we increase the frequency of something, or strive to perform
+actions to achieve some form of perfection, we run into [diminishing
+returns](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diminishing_returns).
+
+Even further, Harold Demsetz is noted as coining the term [the Nirvana
+fallacy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nirvana_fallacy) in 1969, which
+shows the fallacy of comparing actual things with unrealistic, idealized
+alternatives. This is another trap that we may fall into, where we are
+constantly thinking of the ultimate solutions to problems, when
+something more realistic needs to be considered.
+
+Over and over throughout history, we've found that perfection is often
+unrealistic and unachievable. However, we push ourselves and our peers
+to "give 100%" or "go the extra mile," while it may be that the
+better course is to give a valuable level of effort while considering
+the effects of further effort on the outcome. Working harder does not
+always help us achieve loftier goals.
+
+This has presented itself to me most recently during my time studying at
+my university. I was anxious and feeling the stresses of my courses,
+career, and personal life for quite a while, which was greatly affecting
+how well I was doing at school and my level of effort at work. One day,
+I happened to be talking to my father when he said something simple that
+hit home:
+
+> All you can do is show up and do your best. Worrying about the
+> outcomes won't affect the outcome itself.
+
+The thought was extremely straightforward and uncomplicated, yet it was
+something that I had lost sight of during my stress-filled years at
+school. Ever since then, I've found myself pausing and remembering that
+quote every time I get anxious or stressed. It helps to stop and think
+"Can I do anything to affect the outcome, or am I simply worrying over
+something I can't change?"
+
+# When Mediocrity Isn't Enough
+
+One problem with the philosophies presented in this post is that they
+are implemented far too often in situations where mediocrity simply
+isn't adequate. For example, let's take a look at digital user data,
+specifically personally-identifiable information (PII). As a
+cybersecurity auditor in the United States, I have found that most
+companies are concerned more with compliance than any actual safeguards
+over the privacy or protection of user data. Other than companies who
+have built their reputation on privacy and security, most companies will
+use [satisficing](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satisficing) as their
+primary decision-making strategy around user data.
+
+> Satisficing is a decision-making strategy or cognitive heuristic that
+> entails searching through the available alternatives until an
+> acceptability threshold is met.
+
+This means that each decision will be met with certain possible
+solutions until one of the solutions meets their minimum acceptable
+standards. For companies that deal with user data, the
+minimum-acceptable standards come from three areas:
+
+1.  Laws and regulations
+2.  Competitive pressure
+3.  Risk of monetary or reputation loss
+
+Working with project management or auditing, the primary concern here is
+the risk of legal ramifications. Since the primary risk comes from laws
+and regulations, companies will require that any project that involves
+user data must follow all the rules of those laws so that the company
+can protect itself from fines or other penalties.
+
+Following this, companies will consider best practices in order to place
+itself in a competitive position (e.g. Google vs. Apple) and review any
+recent or ongoing litigation against companies regarding user data. In a
+perfect company, management would then consider the ethical
+responsibilities of their organization and discuss their
+responsibilities over things like personally-identifiable information.
+
+However, as we mentioned above, most companies follow the idea of
+satisficing, which states that they have met the minimum acceptable
+standards and can now move on to other decisions. Modern business
+culture in the United States dictates that profits are the golden
+measure of how well a company or manager is performing, so we often
+don't think about our responsibilities beyond these basic standards.
+
+Not all situations demand excellence, but I believe that applying any
+philosophy as a broad stroke across one's life can be a mistake. We
+must be able to think critically about what we are doing as we do it and
+ask ourselves a few questions. Have I done everything I can in this
+situation? Is mediocrity an acceptable outcome, or should we strive for
+perfection, even if we can't attain it?
+
+Taking a few moments to think critically throughout our day, as we make
+decisions, can have a tremendous effect on the outcomes we create.