Good enough is fine.

By laurence On May 21, 2011 · 6 Comments

“The most important thing is to learn that good enough is almost always good enough; you don’t need to find the best. You’ll be happier if, once you find something that meets your standards, you stop looking and don’t worry about it.” -Barry Schwartz

Sometimes I can’t understand why ppl keep wanting to be the best. If at your current level, you can already do what you want to do, then it’s good enough. You keep trying to be better, you are wasting time when your current skill-set can already allow you to do so much.

Go and do some good and change the world. Stop wasting time.

6 Responses to Good enough is fine.

Ben Leong says:
May 21, 2011 at 1:32 pm
Hate to be disagreeable, but I think you are not interpreting Barry’s statement properly. He’s talking about “find”. What he is saying is that if you need to hire employee or choose a wife, dun always have to hold out for the best.
Wanting to be the best is really a cultivation of inner motivation and drive. The best must also be defined correctly to be, the best that one can be and not necessarily compared to other people. Excellence is an attitude and not a destination. It is through this attitude of constant and disciplined improvements that individuals will be able to fulfill their full potential and create maximum value for society.
Reply
- Laurence says:
  May 21, 2011 at 3:33 pm
  by the time they reach their full potential, they are already too damn old to do anything.
  plus, when will they know when they reach their full potential? when do they stop trying to become the best?
  if one keep trying to do his best, he is wasting time, a good enough solution is good enough.
  Reply
  - Ben Leong says:
    May 21, 2011 at 6:00 pm
    You will never fully reach your full potential ‘cos it’s an asymptotic curve. You just keep working at it. :-)
    You compare yourself to Hung in 10 years and you will understand what I mean. :-P Maybe you are right. Maybe I’m right. We’d see.
    Reply
    - Laurence says:
      May 21, 2011 at 9:15 pm
      how do you compare? happiness? money? rank? influence?
      whatever your ideal is may not be mine. you like to go the way of competition, so be it.
      i prefer to lead a happy life doing what i feel like doing. you like to feel as though you win everyone, by all means, continue down that path. it’s just that i prefer the path i’ve chosen.
      there are many routes to success. yours is not the only way. and even then, your definition of success may not be the one suited for everyone.
      Reply
      - Ben Leong says:
        May 22, 2011 at 1:22 am
        How to compare? Very easy. Diff. What matters is not whether you are better than him but how much he has grown and level up compared to the same for you.
        It’s not about success. It is about growth.
        Success is something that each man must define for himself. If you think that the way you are heading will bring you success (the way you define it), that’s good for you.
        I don’t think you are fully appreciating what I’m trying to tell you. Perhaps you will appreciate in 10 years. :-) You have time.
        Reply
        Laurence says:
        May 22, 2011 at 9:46 am
        trust me. i know exactly what you are saying. but my life is not only about tangible stuff. you choose to live your life that way, that’s your choice.
        who is to say one is better than another?
        you choose to live your life pursuing growth. i choose to live my life being happy.
        Reply