The Ten Principles of Underachievement
1) Life’s too short
2) Control is an illusion
3) Expectations lead to misery
4) Great expectations lead to great misery
5) Achievement creates expectations
6) The law of diminishing returns applies everywhere
7) Perfect is the enemy of good
8) The tallest blade of grass is sure to be cut
9) Accomplishment is in the eye of the beholder
10) The 4-per-cent value added principle.
Somehow this book fits into the whole intersectional design philosophy. Especially numbers 6 and 7 from above. This book is a wonderful little monograph from Chronicle Books. Some more:
[A group of students] asked two of the richest men in the world, Bill Gates and Warren Buffet, what they felt was the biggest single factor in their success. Their reply? Being born and living in America. They didn’t have any control over either. It’s a lot like saying that the best way to succeed in life is to choose your parents well. You didn’t choose them, or your genes, or a multitude of other factors that have had an enormous impact on your life. So why put all that pressure on yourself to succeed just because you were given a great mind or superb physical talent? And if you don’t have those things, well…it wasn’t your fault in the first place.
SV Accelerator 