Mr. Peasant On The Trade Off Problem

From How to be Happy an old catalog, 1901.

There are no solutions only trade-offs.

THOMAS SOWELL

We have heard a variation on this theme many times. The theme is that every solution breeds new problems. When making decisions, we are forced to weigh the costs and benefits of those decisions. No perfect solution exists or can exist. That is the nature of existence.

We hit the trade off problem whenever we go shopping. For instance, you can buy a toolbox in either blue or red, but you can't have it both ways. Every positive decision comes with a negative. Choosing one thing means not choosing the other thing. This doesn't seem like such a big deal in this example, but it is a big deal in many other examples. Should you buy metric wrenches or standard wrenches? I have learned that you need both.

There is a magic solution to the trade off problem, but it is a false solution. This is the solution known as "one size fits all." With the wrench example, you could buy an adjustable wrench and learn to live with stripped bolts and nuts. There's a reason adjustable wrenches never took over.

Mr. Peasant's practical solution to the trade off problem is "one size fits most." I have learned that every solution has its limits. I personally went through this journey when trying to decide between a 4 wheel drive pickup versus a 2 wheel drive pickup. The 4WD has more utility because you can go off-road and drive in the snow. For me, these situations are exceedingly rare. The rest of the time is spent paying more for gas on the 4WD and the all terrain tires that never leave 2WD. I had to choose between utility and fuel economy, and I chose fuel economy. Over the last decade, that has turned out to be a genius decision.

I went with the vehicle that covers 80% of what I need in a truck. That's close enough. If I need something more robust, I will have to seek out alternative solutions such as renting a truck. This flies completely in the face of the larger culture that wants as many options and features as exist. This would be the smartphone with a thousand apps or subscribing to more streaming services that can possibly be watched because there aren't enough hours in a day or a lifetime.

Goldilocks or The Three Bears, 1911. Jessie Willcox Smith 

Why do people go to such excess? I think it goes back to that old maxim that says that it is better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it. The problem with that maxim is that it never accounts for the cost of having a lot of things that you don't need. One of those costs is the rent on a storage unit for all that unused stuff that you might need.

I find myself living in agreement with the wisdom of Yvon Chouinard who said, "The more you know, the less you need." This is hippie wisdom that people in the homesteading and prepping communities would be wise to learn. What we think we need will always be larger than what we actually need. This is because we don't know anything.

In my experience, I find those 80% solutions to be the best. What happens when those solutions aren't sufficient? This happens. I have learned to follow the strategy of the Marine Corps known as "adapt and overcome." That covers the 20%. I also refer to these strategies as the "white trash option." The result is that my method is a quilt work of improvisation and intentionality. I keep the intentionality at 80% and the improvisation at 20%. That is a nice ratio.

Another issue that comes up is choosing "tactical" gear and options. This is opposed to "practical." What is the difference between tactical and practical? I would say the difference is about $200 because this is how much you will pay more for a Goruck tactical backpack as opposed to the JanSport practical backpack. At the end of the day, a backpack is a compartment with two straps. Those tactical backpacks have those cool looking MOLLE straps, but I have rarely seen anyone actually use the things. Generally, you want to carry your gear inside the bag instead of outside of the bag because this is practical. But I digress. . .

Something is called tactical because it is designed for a narrow purpose or activity. Something practical is designed for general purpose activities. I have learned over the years to aim for the practical while eschewing the tactical. That is a way to achieve "one size fits most." Tactical is "one size fits one."

You can get away with using a tactical backpack to carry books to class the same way you can commute to work in a Jeep Wrangler. Why would you? This hit me decades ago trying to work in a pair of jungle combat boots when I just needed a basic and more comfortable pair of work boots. Those jungle boots looked bad ass, but they were crippling on a concrete floor for twelve hours a day.

Woman and child buying shoes. Drouin, Victoria 1944

I remember in high school in the 1980s that the local National Guard unit had Army Jeeps. They also had a basic Chevy pickup truck they painted camouflage. That pickup truck was their preferred vehicle for doing anything. It even lasted into the Humvee era because it was so practical.

Tactical isn't just limited to military type stuff. Hippies get into the act with their mountain bikes and gravel bikes when they would find more use in a beach cruiser bike. The same applies to trail specific shoes that are basically sneakers with some traction on the sole. The term the hippies use isn't "tactical" but "technical." It is the same animal. Your wallet gets lighter without any benefit over the practical option.

The bottom line is that marketers and businesses seek to undermine your confidence in the practical option of one size fits most. Because you know little, you need more stuff. A better investment of your purchasing dollar is to spend more time and money reading in an effort to know more. When you know more, you need less stuff. This knowledge boosts your confidence and allows you, Gentle Reader, to tune out the frequent pitches for your hard earned dollars.

Thank you for reading!

What Happened then stories. 1918. Ruth Dyer