Avoid middle ground

I’ve often heard it suggested that, when faced with two options, it is preferrable to iterate toward some “middle ground” — usually from the end justifies the means crowd.

Reaching for a “middle ground” by default is how you get all-round discontent, dissolved responsibility, and a royally screwed outcome.

A melting pot of options quickly turns into a lump of coal.

The reason is simple: an option that comes to the surface is the result of complex systems. They have their own assumptions and principles and the trade-offs are unknown when cross-polinated with other ideas.

To make a responsible decision, it must be extracted by First Principles™. Assign the responsible party and let them follow through — they will then have the full context to make the best decisions possible.

It’s thrilling to come to a conclusion and later discover there is a theory or principle behind it.