maximizers vs satisficers: can you be happy with good enough?

There is this concept of being a “maximizer” or a “satisficer”. Maximizers are always looking for the best of each thing. Satisficers are, basically, just decide on a good thing and be happy with it. They don’t go for “the perfect thing”, they go for “good enough for me”.

A maximizer is like a perfectionist, someone who needs to be assured that their every purchase or decision was the best that could be made. The way a maximizer knows for certain is to consider all the alternatives they can imagine. This creates a psychologically daunting task, which can become even more daunting as the number of options increases. The alternative to maximizing is to be a satisficer. A satisficer has criteria and standards, but a satisficer is not worried about the possibility that there might be something better. Ultimately, Schwartz agrees with Simon’s conclusion, that satisficing is, in fact, the maximizing strategy.  from Wikipedia

Satisficers tend to be happier.

I am unsure where I fall because while it’s true I have very high standards, once I find the thing I want, I’m happy with it. For the most part. I did not go looking for “the perfect car” or “the perfect condo”. I often let other people do my research. I bought the condo next to Emily’s condo. She had done the research, I was happy with it. I bought a Camry because my brother said Hondas and Toyotas are the best. And I’m happy with it.

What I do is look until it “feels right”. And once I get that this-is-it feeling, I stop. I put a lot of stock in that feels-right feeling.

But I do find that I have certain areas that I maximize in. For instance I seem to maximize around career. I am never happy with what I’m doing. And I think the reason has to do with external expectations. I still have this very strong  internalized voice saying I ought to be doing something Important with my life. In fact it gets in the way of me doing anything Important because I don’t like being told what to do and I rebel. But anyway. That’s another blog post.

The point though for me to realize around this is that I have not been solely going for the “this-is-it” feeling with my career. I’ve been going for “Is this good enough yet?” and querying some nebulous internal jackal, which is so hung up on not feeling good enough that it is never satisfied. My self-worth is tied up in it.

Stupid head.

Tags: (none)