If you want to buy machine screws or widgets that are exactly the same to five decimal points, you’ll pay a premium for that. In exchange, you’ll get parts that are precisely as expected, making assembly more reliable.

Mechanization’s productivity and our fear of fear have driven us to do this with just about everything. Bananas, fast food and student performance are all pushed toward consistency, often at the expense of the possibility of extraordinary performance.

We do this to humans at our own peril.

Do we really want the artist to produce a carbon copy each time? For every Dead show to be the same? For customer service to be measured with a stopwatch, not our hearts?

Uniformity pays when the best definition of “excellent” is that it “meets spec.” This includes day-to-day freelance work, business hotel rooms and the way our phones work.

For everything else, perhaps we ought to pay a bit more for awe, insight and surprise.

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Far more often than any of us like to admit, our actions are driven by a subtle desire to impress other people. This desire is often reflected in the brand name products we use, the social spots we frequent, the houses and cars we buy, and the careers we choose. And while some of these things might capture our attention for a minute or two, they usually won’t hold it for long. Why? Because tangible possessions are not as impressive as intangible qualities.

Consider the following questions:

• She drives a Porsche, but can she truly afford the payment?
• She owns a huge house, but is it a loving home?
• She earns a lot of money, but does she enjoy what she does for a living?

You get the idea. Whenever the answer to questions like these is a resounding “no,” the subject who initially seemed to be impressive no longer does.

Now take a moment and imagine (more…)