{"id":192,"date":"2015-02-22T22:07:56","date_gmt":"2015-02-22T22:07:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/2bgreener.com\/?p=192"},"modified":"2015-02-22T22:07:56","modified_gmt":"2015-02-22T22:07:56","slug":"enough-is-as-good-as-a-feast-mary-poppins","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/2bgreener.com\/?p=192","title":{"rendered":"\u201cEnough is as good as a feast\u201d Mary Poppins"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Mary\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Okay, so most people probably don\u2019t write serious commentary based on words of wisdom from a children\u2019s story character, especially one reeking with tricky magic and barely controlled self-importance.\u00a0 Mary judges herself as \u201cpractically perfect in every way\u201d.\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cPractically\u201d could mean that in practical pursuits she is perfect, or \u201cpractically\u201d can more colloquially mean \u201cnearly\u201d. In the latter case, even Mary seems to understand that she is only nearly perfect.\u00a0 This gives me some hope, because \u201cperfect\u201d is a ridiculous goal, really.<\/p>\n

Anyway, I digress, as I often do. The point is to understand how powerful the statement \u201cEnough is as good as a feast\u201d is. It applies to so much in our lives from the quite simple application of yes, we\u2019ve eaten enough and should push away from the table, to wow, isn\u2019t it silly that we are demanding still more heating in the room when it would be even faster and more comfortable to put on some wool socks on this frigid winter day.<\/p>\n

Do any of us realize how much too much<\/em> we have?\u00a0 I think of myself as greener, yet I open my closet to find a blouse and need to pick through 20+ poorly stored blouses I nearly never wear to get to the one I want, which is one of the five or so I wear often.\u00a0 This wastes my time and is so frustrating. What would happen if I said \u201cenough\u201d and simplified down to the items of clothing I actually looked good and felt good in?\u00a0 The ones I wear most often.\u00a0 Why, I\u2019d have plenty of room\u2026and then likely I\u2019d be tempted to buy more stuff I then wouldn\u2019t wear. Hmmm.<\/p>\n

So the real goal is getting to a place in my life where I understand that \u201cenough is AS GOOD as a feast\u201d.\u00a0 Not just a nice compromise<\/em>, but actually significantly the same. A balanced state. \u00a0\u00a0Some people understand this more readily.\u00a0 I have had a couple of interns in the past years, and one said to me one day \u201cDon\u2019t settle for more when less is the right answer\u201d.\u00a0 Wow.\u00a0 That blew me away.\u00a0 I hereby claim that saying for continued reference and future use, and thank William Rowe for sharing it with me.<\/p>\n

Think about that phrase – how does it make you feel?\u00a0 It totally twists our perception of language in a very good way. We have been trained to think that \u201cmore\u201d is always a good thing, and this has led to many serious problems in our world.\u00a0 One of the first examples that pops into my mind is plastics. They make sense in applications where we need to control breakage and sanitary state, such as blood bags and packaging for sterile tools.\u00a0 They don\u2019t make sense in most of where we use them: in single use bottles and throw-away foam containers.\u00a0 The simple reason they are used in these excessive and unreasonable applications is because they are easy and light and more convenient in the short term<\/strong>.\u00a0 But more plastics in more uses causes HUGE waste issues as well as uncontrollable increases in bio accumulative toxins that are adversely affecting every human on the planet. We should be designing to achieve the optimal use of plastics.<\/p>\n

\"plastics\"<\/a><\/p>\n

We also need to reassess some words. Words can so quickly trip us up, and they do it with glee.\u00a0 I used the word compromise <\/em>earlier in a way that implies accepting a lesser achievement.\u00a0 Powerful words such as compromise and collaboration and consensus all basically mean an agreement or a settlement of a dispute that is reached by each side granting things, even giving preferential allowances. Nowhere does \u201ccompromise\u201d actually mean a lack of achievement.\u00a0 In fact, we can look at compromise as seeking the win\/win\/win and finding the preferred outcome for all. If we accept the idea that mutual agreement is a higher level of success than one person getting what they think they want, then we will open up some amazing possibilities in design problems of all sorts.\u00a0 I say \u201cwhat they think they want\u201d because often it is in the process of discussion that people find an avenue to explore that achieves things beyond their initial comprehension of what can be achieved \u2013 this is brilliant and part of the processes of true compromise, collaboration and consensus.<\/p>\n

So when is \u201cless\u201d the right answer?\u00a0 Quite often.\u00a0 Sarah Susanka writes many books about the \u201cnot so big\u201d house concept.\u00a0 In nearly all of her books, the process includes identifying the real<\/strong> needs and wants, not the stuff that looks good in a magazine or that works well for the Jones\u2019 across the street.\u00a0 Usually, a hoe-out is part of designing a new addition or a reconfiguring of spaces.\u00a0 Sometimes a re-assessment of \u201cstuff\u201d to decide if it is something that should remain as a feature of the home, or be relegated to a closet or boxes, or sent for re-use with someone else.\u00a0 Things that can shine become part of the design \u2013 books can become part of the decor, or a cherished set of china can be made accessible for use more often and to be decorative when not in use. How would your home change if you could show off the things you cherish.\u00a0 Would you cherish fewer things?\u00a0 Would you rediscover something? In some cases, it\u2019s also a matter of designing how to use the space you already have, so that a dining room becomes usable most of the year as a good family working space hub, easily dressed up for special gatherings \u2013 much more effective than a new room at high cost that is only used part of the year.<\/p>\n

\"Not<\/a><\/p>\n

So, in the case of needing more space the answer might well be that less is the right answer. Less stuff (and a re-understanding of that stuff) or less wasted space (more used more often space).<\/p>\n

The factor of fear in this is letting go the stuff you\u2019ve always had, or letting go of particular rituals you grew up with for certain spaces.<\/p>\n

Okay, back to the quotes.\u00a0 How about the oft\u2019 quoted \u201cless is more\u201d. This was originally from a poem by Robert Browning, but adopted by Mies van der Rohe as the precept for minimalist architectural and furniture design. The quote seeks to express the notion that simplicity and clarity lead to good design.\u00a0 I will write more in the future about simple not being easy, but here let\u2019s just talk about \u201cless\u201d and that this word refers to well-chosen and well-crafted approaches.\u00a0 In no way does \u201cless\u201d intend to imply something not as desirable. It is the ultimate in what is desired.<\/p>\n

And that is what we must learn.\u00a0 In fact, \u201cEnough is AS GOOD AS a feast.\u201d<\/strong> \u00a0So often we go back for one more serving or one last bite and our experience of the whole meal is ruined because we are overstuffed and uncomfortable.\u00a0 We can also be overstuffed and uncomfortable with space, with stuff and with excess of resources that in turn are just wasted through lack of appreciation.<\/p>\n

I mean, really, \u201cWhy settle for more when less is the right answer\u201d?<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Okay, so most people probably don\u2019t write serious commentary based on words of wisdom from a children\u2019s story character, especially one reeking with tricky magic […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[10,2,3,7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-192","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-critical-commentary","category-energy","category-recycling","category-personal-reflections"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p40KlT-36","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":949,"url":"https:\/\/2bgreener.com\/?p=949","url_meta":{"origin":192,"position":0},"title":"Big Traveling, Small Imprints","author":"greenerjsa","date":"May 29, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"What is the measure of success? 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