Essay · 12 min read

Satisficing vs Maximizing

Jason Cohen · A Smart Bear Free Intermediate

Cohen names the perfectionist's core bug: maximizing every decision when good enough would do. He gives you a rule for when to chase the best answer (rare, high stakes, hard to reverse) and when to just pick and move (almost everything else). If polishing is your default setting, this gives you both permission and a filter.

• Reserve maximizing for slow, expensive, one-way decisions.
• Set a "good enough" bar in advance and stop when you hit it.
• Perfectionism is a strength that quietly becomes a tax.