"Abyss of Worries" (2009) by Takato Yamamoto
According to a 2006 study by Sheena Iyengar, Rachael Wells, and Barry Schwartz, summarized here by Lerner and Schlecther, “maximalizing might help you get to the top, but it doesn’t necessarily pave a road that leads to happiness and well-being “(148). The “maximalizer” graduating students in the study referred to, “considered more jobs, sought more options, did more social comparison” and “earned salaries that were 20 percent higher on average than their satisficing peers” (147). But they also “picked up more anxiety, stress, worry, feelings of being overwhelmed, and disappointment in the process and (as if it needed to get any worse) were less satisfied overall with their work” (147).
Describe an experience in your life when trying too hard to get things perfect may have led to less satisfaction.
I realize that in the book, most examples they had for "satisficing" were focused around applying for jobs, picking a dorm room, or choosing a university; but I feel like this idea of not settling for anything but the very best can be easily applied to goals as well. One example in my life of this was when I started running track during my junior year of high school. I felt pumped to be a part of a new team (this team was literally just being started) and to start exercising consistently and bettering myself along the way. I guess I was a little too over zealous, however, and wanted instant improvements, because I ended up pushing myself too hard and injuring my right calf muscle. This was literally like a week or two after we started; so, I felt awful that I had to stop and sit on the sidelines. Of course COVID hit soon after and all motivation ceased. Recently, I have started running again on my own; but this time I am primed with the lesson to start out slow and to be able to settle for a little less at times. Besides, not being too hard on yourself in the beginning usually means you're less likely to stop.
ReplyDeleteMy entire high school career was based around maximalizing. I had to be in the top 10%. I had to make All State Honor Band. I had to get a good GPA. I had to take concurrent classes, and do good in them. My last two years of high school were nothing but hard work. While I am proud of the fact that I succeeded in all of these areas, I feel as though I lost a lot of the growing opportunities my peers had. I didn't go out much. I never got invited to parties, or even just sleepovers. I never got asked to go to the lake. It was like I was just existing in a constant loop of work. My summer was similar. I worked many hours to make money for me to have in college. While I now have a good amount to live on, I barely spent time with friends in the summer. It wasn't until the end, that I went on vacation, and saw my friends for the last time for a while. I hope that college will give me a chance to just learn and grow, but also make connections, and friends I hope to have for a long time.
ReplyDeleteI think for me it was with my friends. In highschool, I tried to be friends with everyone. I tried to fit in with everyone and honestly it took at toll on me. Instead of having any close friends, all I had was a lot of people I knew. I realized this and really focused on the group I clicked with. Some of those people became my bestfriends and I still know to this day I can count on them.
ReplyDeleteOne time in my life where maximizing left me less satisfied was in choosing my first truck. for about four months I scoured lists of used trucks until I came upon the truck I'm currently driving, a 2010 King Ranch F150 that had been wrecked and for that reason went pretty low. Even though I found a nice truck for a good price (plus the price of fixing it up), after wrecking the tailgate two weeks in I realized I might have been better off getting a cheaper vehicle for my first. I spent so much time finding a nice vehicle that I hadn't considered my position as a new driver, and by maximizing I lead myself into making an ultimately bad decision.
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