Satisficing

satisfactory is success

Wandering through the produce aisle, do you pick the orange on top the pile? Ripe and firm, hefty and fragrant; or set it aside, examine those adjacent? Compare them all for the perfect fruit, yours must be best beyond dispute.

Good enough will never do. You’ll have top prize before you’re through. Too bad about the time it takes or messy aisles dropped fruit makes. The orange you seek must be optimal, not second best—phenomenal!

But wait, might there be yet another; check all the markets to discover. And when the One is finally held, the golden orb, the orange excelled, there’s always doubt about success.‘This one for sure?’ you second-guess.

Start with a goal, no matter what. Pick any orange that’s adequate. To slice, make juice, or on a platter. It suits the task, that’s what matters. Fills expectations, all that’s needed. Over-kill when they’re exceeded.

About Me

Roger Kenyon was North America’s first lay canon lawyer and associate director at the Archdiocese of Seattle. He was involved in tech (author of Macintosh Introductory Programming, Mainstay) before teaching (author of ThinkLink: a learner-active program, Riverwood). Roger lives near Toronto and offers free critical thinking and character development courses online.

“When not writing, I’m riding—eBike, motorbike, and a mow cart that catches air down the hills. One day I’ll have Goldies again.”