the less subtle approach, October 25th

If you seek and accept only the best, you are a maximizer.

I have some days where I’m the model economist. I read The Journal and check online for pundits’ opinions. On others, I’m the direct descendant Richie Rich. I order a meal with fries- yes, I know it doesn’t come with it, and a beer. I’m reminded of the Diderot effect. Once you’ve acquired a taste for something, you’ll want to pair it with a glass of Chianti.

As an aspiring- nay, enthusiast photographer, the pursuit of the ‘best’ picture is my North Star. Often, it has no name. Just a blur, the goal of perfect in my photography is as real as reality TV. I aim for it as I set this standard for my storytelling. Admittedly, as I pen these thoughts, it occurs to me that "the perfect photo" is pointless. Truly, what I want to capture is that moment where life and art blend- you can’t tell cinema from the situation. It’s the feeling you can see a story happen; the events play out in front of the director.

Since I was told I could make money online, I have sought online and off for the best crypto. Project or token, asset or jpeg, I cannot deny I gamble. These stories fuel my appetite for a future- where one asset alters the course of my life. I’ve risked money many times, but the real loss I didn’t appreciate until now. For so long the camera’s been out of focus. This and that, ETH or BTC, there’s a clear choice among the writers and creators I look up to. It’s like they have some hivemind mentality about it.

The alternative to maximizing is to be a satisficer. To satisfice is to settle for something that’s good enough and not worry about the endless possibilities.

I see a lot of those same inspirations satisificing. They have 2 choices. Pick one and forget the other. The satisficer is an old man. He orders the same cup of coffee, black, no cream, two sugars. He flips open a newspaper in the old manner he always does. Slow and deliberate, he’s reading quietly. In the sun, same spot by the window. He doesn’t care about Splenda, or decaf or reading his publication online or on the app. And he’s content.

While, if you’re like my mother, you have reason to believe satisficers lack ambition or settle for less. You look like a quitter, in her eyes. Maximizers aren’t quite right about this one. The difference between maximizers and satisficers is that satisficer is content with the merely excellent instead of the absolute best.

Even this post-read reflection reveals more as I explore. I cannot deny, that maximizing books over food and clothes pays dividends. Some uses of your time pay off more than others. The cost to be the boss might be the best price, but I’ll settle. I’ve overpaid and undervalued so much already.

I’ll take anything that might help me focus on what’s important.