Optimizing Everything

We optimize everything.

If we have the ability to gather data on it, we can optimize it. Make it better. More efficient and effective.

We can optimize our diet to get more nutrition and be healthier with fewer calories.

We can optimize our commute to get more accomplished before even getting to work.

We can optimize blogs for more interaction, social media feeds for more followings, websites for more visits, ads for more customers.

We can optimize everything.

But can we optimize depth? Creativity? Innovation?

Sure, we can optimize our schedules to generate better thinking, or our discipline to increase creative output, but can we optimize mystery, beauty, and novelty? Can we optimize empathy, meaning, truth?

I wonder if sometimes we hyper-optimize as a way to avoid truly going deeper or further than what’s comfortable.

Sometimes we don’t need optimization.
We need deeper.
We need further.

(H/T to Seth Godin for turning me on to this line of thinking.)