The mirage of compromise

As a younger person, I loved compromises. What’s not to love about people agreeing on a plan they can both accept? Why does one person always need to win? 

As I’ve grown older, I’ve seen the dark side of compromises, especially in creativity and business. Everyone thinks they should go 50-50 on a business with their friend, until they realize the money and the power were never going to be the issue. The real issue with going 50-50 is seeing two good options get watered down into one bad compromise. 

I see compromises I’ve been brokering within myself, for my own work. I want my content to be educational, and I also want it to be entertaining. These are two different things. So, instead of just making entertaining content, or just making educational content, I’ve been making some strange combination of both that isn’t very effective. 

We reach for compromise because it gives the feeling of a short-term win. It avoids conflict today. In the long run, choosing one good idea and sticking with it will make everyone more happy. Especially when that plan works out. 

Avoid the mirage of compromise. It’s a tempting image of water today. But a better choice for everyone is to find out where the water really is, and chart a course for that.