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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.