Best (What)

Best

Best means the most rewards with the fewest drawbacks in a holistic sense as determined by an actor (person or group) for their context (surrounding circumstances).

Here is a breakdown of the main ideas.

Best is subjective which means that it depends on the values, priorities, beliefs of the actor who is gauging what is best. In addition, what is best depends on the context.

Sometimes, best refers to “highest probability of being best.”

• For example, a family might select the “best vacation” based on their priorities and constraints. However, the weather can go awry or they can have troubles with travel or lodging or sickness or many other things. That is, there are many factors outside their control that can impact the quality of the vacation.

• For example, the best investment might balance considerations of risks, rewards, liquidity and such, but there are factors that are outside the control of the decision maker.

• In cases such as these, actors can only make decisions that maximize the probability of being the best.

Rewards

A reward is anything that increases the odds that a person, group or animal will repeat a behavior. Examples: satisfaction, enjoyment, social connections, praise, status, and financial rewards. Rewards drive actions.

Drawbacks

A drawback is anything that decreases the odds that a person, group or animal will engage in or repeat a behavior. Examples: pain, fear, boredom, stress, criticism, failure, cost, effort, time on task, calendar time, resources used, feeling forced.

Holistic

Holistic, in this context, means considering all the rewards and all the drawbacks together and giving the most weight to those factors that are most important. It is about making a balanced decision.

Payoffs

A payoff is a holistic balancing of the rewards minus the drawbacks of ethical actions. A positive payoff is when rewards > drawbacks. A negative payoff is when rewards < drawbacks. A desirable payoff is when rewards >> drawbacks. Payoff comes from game theory.

Examples

1. The best car is the one that you love the most and that works best for you.

2. A coder might say that the best code is defined by these criteria:

   1. Does what it is supposed to do.
   2. Super reliable.
   3. Best choices of data structures and algorithms.
   4. Well organized into modules, classes, functions and such.
   5. Fully tested.
   6. Super easy to maintain.

3. An architect designs a building that

   1. Looks fantastic.
   2. Works very well for its occupants.
   3. Is easy to build because of how it was designed.
   4. Is energy efficient and good for the environment.
   5. Costs about the same as buildings that have much lower levels of quality.

Best Decision

A decision that yields the most benefits while minimizing negative consequences, considering all aspects—financial, emotional, social, etc.—as judged by the decision maker(s) in that specific situation.

Best Method of Learning

The learning approach that maximizes comprehension and retention of knowledge with minimal effort or confusion, tailored to the learner’s needs, preferences, and circumstances.

Best Computer Programming Language

The programming language that offers the greatest efficiency, ease of use, and suitability for the task at hand with the least drawbacks, such as steep learning curves or lack of community support, as determined by the developers involved.

Best Characteristics of a Friend

Traits that contribute most positively to a fulfilling and supportive friendship, minimizing negative interactions or feelings, based on the personal values and social needs of the individuals in the friendship.

Best Way to Communicate

A communication strategy that ensures the message is effectively conveyed and understood with minimal miscommunication or conflict, adapted to the context, audience, and purpose of the communication.

Rationale for Best

Here are some reasons why being skilled with “best” is worthwhile.

1. Get the best outcome. Maximize your payoffs.

2. Feels great to get the best.

3. Far more motivating to seek the best.

4. The best always balances cost, effort, and time and such.

5. Drives collaboration up to high levels.

Concerns

1. Need to be able to identify and address all the drawbacks and rewards. This is complex, nuanced, and contextual. This makes this skill hard to do. However, this is just like learning anything: if you learn with Deliberate Practice, the learning works and you get payoffs.

2. Some people get locked into one element (one reward or one drawback) or only a few elements. You’ll need skill in guiding these people toward a balanced viewpoint.

3. Figuring out what is best in a group requires people with the right skill sets (uncommon) or a skilled facilitator (less uncommon).

4. Pursuing what is best clashes with most cultures; it is not the norm. People will say things like “this is impossible” or “you can never get people to buy in.” These issues can be addressed by a person who has the skill sets to facilitate cultural growth.

Best (How)

Framework

Here is the framework

Whenever you make decisions

• List all the rewards and all the drawbacks of each option.

• Select the option with the highest payoff.

Tips

1. Simplicity. Do this as quickly and simply as you can.

   1. I never use spreadsheets or numerical weighting.
   2. Bound your time; say 5 minutes or less.
   3. Trust your intuition once the benefits and drawbacks are clear.

2. High Payoffs: Seek things that have high payoffs.

3. Best is about balancing all the competing factors: see the next section.

Best is About Balance

Striving for the best is all about seeking the perfect balance between costs and benefits. It’s not about working harder or doing more; it’s about working smarter and more efficiently to achieve the level of quality you desire.

Here are some examples.

1. Design. I am designing and building a fence. I am striving to get the best fence I can for the least cost, the most enjoyment, the most learning, and so on. I am balancing all these things and striving to find the sweet spot.

2. Learning. Get the most knowledge and skill for the least amount of time invested, the least cost, and the most enjoyment of the learning process.

3. Fitness. To stay fit, find the workouts that give you the most rewards {fitness, enjoyment, healthy weight, and so on} with the fewest drawbacks {time, cost, suffering, and so on} and that align with your constraints {budget, schedule, location, and so on}.

4. Investments. Seek maximum returns with the level of risk you want. Find the simplest approach. Make sure you can access your investments when you need to.

Remember, seeking the best is about making conscious choices that maximize the benefits while minimizing unnecessary costs or efforts.