0004: THE BEST COMPROMISE IS

The Best Compromise

318 words, < 2 minutes

How often are we faced with two choices? This or that.

There are almost always more choices, but it is easy to get stuck into extreme perspectives, especially when opinions come from thoughtful people.

So, what do we do? Hopefully, as mature adults, we seek a compromise. Most people try to search for the middle ground, but is that right?

Imagine a bike ride. Somebody wants to go faster. Another wants to go slower. How do faster and slower compromise? Faster slows down, and slower speeds up. Now, how do they feel? Faster is frustrated, slower is exhausted.

Before Solomon’s Judgment¹, we knew that going halfsies wasn’t a good idea. Yet, meeting halfway is the default setting for many scenarios because it’s the easiest compromise to imagine.

The best compromise is an outcome that uses the best parts of the different ideas.

For better compromises, the first steps are to understand the goals and think creatively about expanding options and acceptable outcomes. The next step is to follow Ager’s first rule of improv and practice “yes, and” thinking to build up ideas. Finally, prioritize needs over wants, do the best we can, and remember many decisions are reversible.

Today, a compromise often means making a concession by lowering standards. Isn’t it odd that compromising also means reckless or less effective behavior? No wonder it can be hard to find a compromise when the expected result is middle ground no one is happy with. On an adventure, some compromises may even be dangerous.

However, the root meaning of the word compromise is to push forth together. A compromise is for the third party, the collective greater than any individual. Creating a Best Of together seems like a lot more fun than looking at a fork in the road and deciding to crash into the divider.