The Little Blue Reasoning Book - Brandon Royal [51]
5. Quantity vs. Quality Trade-off
The quantity versus quality trade-off appears frequently in everyday life. Rarely do we demand more and, at the same time, realistically expect better quality as well. For example, in terms of a price and quantity trade-off, a lower price generally means more quantity and lower quality, while a higher price means higher quality but lower quantity.
6. Short-term vs. Long-term Trade-off
Sometimes the only difference between two opposing points of view is a difference in time frames. Two people, for example, might equally believe in the potential benefits of space exploration, but disagree as to whether it’s a priority worth pursuing in the short-run.
7. Specific vs. General Trade-off
“Specific” is like seeing the trees, and “general” is like seeing the forest. A startup company will likely have more success as a niche player (known for selling a specific product or service), but as it grows it will become a generalist (known for selling a number of products or services). Perhaps you know people who are good with details but poor with the bigger picture; others are good with the bigger picture but poor with details. The fictional fellow James Bond is a rare fellow indeed: one who is both detail-minded and a generalist!
How does the breadth versus depth trade-off differ from a specific versus general trade-off? Specific versus general is about scope. Specific means we have a narrow scope; general means we have a broad scope. Breadth versus depth is about variety. Breadth means we have a lot of variety; depth means we have less variety and more constancy.
Take an example from photography. We decide to snap some photos of a large summer garden. In our role as a generalist, we stand back and take pictures of the whole of the garden. The more pictures we take of the whole garden from different angles, the more breadth our photography collection will have. The more pictures of the whole garden from a similar angle, the more depth we’ll have.
In our role as a specialist, we advance for close-up shots. By taking close-ups of a few select flowers from many different angles, we add breadth to our collection. By taking lots of close-up shots of a few select flowers from one particular angle, we add depth to our photo collection.
8. Subjective vs. Objective Trade-off
Subjective means that something is based on personal experience, feeling, or opinion. Objective means that something is not based on personal experience, feeling, or opinion — it is impartial and based in fact. The subjective versus objective trade-off has many faces. These include: art versus science, emotion versus logic, and passion versus intellect. It is ostensibly impossible to maintain subjectivity and objectivity simultaneously.
9. Theory vs. Practice Trade-off
Perhaps the easiest way to think of a theory versus practice trade-off is to view it in terms of schooling versus work experience. Schooling is equated with theory and work experience with practice. It is generally assumed that a given situation involves more of one of these two things to the neglect of the other.
10. Tradition vs. Change Trade-off
The past hails tradition and the future hails change. In everyday life, we might argue for a return to tradition, as in the case of family values or work ethic. In other situations, a person will push for change and opt for a different set of values or work ethic. Culture and tradition are almost always in conflict with change and modernization. In America, the right to own and/or carry handguns is supported in large measure because the American Constitution (“tradition”) provides for the right to bear arms. Others, who are opposed to owning and/or carrying handguns, cite common sense, based on the fact that times have changed, and arguing that the American Constitution needs to be amended (“change”).
Problem 42: Matching Exercise
Which