Recently, I’ve been pondering this distinction, having read a great opinion piece (that I now cannot locate) about one of modern society’s ailments: our obsession with “the best.”
Aside from the corporate interests involved—being “best budget coffee maker” in a Wirecutter piece means guaranteed sales—there’s a troubling philosophy here. “Good” is never good enough. Only the best will do.
This philosophy is troubling because it frames our world as one of lack, and poses solutions in purchases, improvements, and projects. It sours our view of, say, our backyard, saddles us with blinders that block the good that we already have.
Taylor Coe 