Fish Quote by Brian Christian, Tom Griffiths
““It's a familiar, if not exactly inspiring, message: in the face of slim pickings, lower your standards. It also makes clear the converse: with more fish in the sea, raise them. In both cases, crucially, the math tells you exactly by how much.””
About This Quote
Adjust expectations based on scarcity or abundance, using quantitative reasoning to determine optimal standards.
In simple terms: Optimize standards via math
Key Takeaway
Match standards to resource availability
Themes
decision-making
resource allocation
optimization
behavioral economics
probability
Mood
pragmatic
analytical
Type
advice
observation
When to use this quote
- job market negotiations
- dating pool assessment
- budget planning
- inventory management
Key Concepts
scarcity
abundance
trade-offs
utility
Practical Applications
- setting hiring criteria
- pricing strategies
Questions to Reflect On
- How does changing the pool size affect your criteria?
- When might raising standards be counterproductive?
