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+#+date: 2020-10-12
+#+title: On the Pursuit of 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 [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_mean_(philosophy)][golden mean]], 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 [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pareto_principle][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 [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diminishing_returns][diminishing returns]].
+
+Even further, Harold Demsetz is noted as coining the term [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nirvana_fallacy][the 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:
+
+#+BEGIN_QUOTE
+All you can do is show up and do your best.
+Worrying about the outcomes won't affect the outcome itself.
+#+END_QUOTE
+
+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 [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satisficing][satisficing]] as their primary decision-making
+strategy around user data.
+
+#+BEGIN_QUOTE
+Satisficing is a decision-making strategy or cognitive heuristic that entails
+searching through the available alternatives until an acceptability threshold
+is met.
+#+END_QUOTE
+
+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.