Saturday, April 25, 2015

The 95 per cent

The rule of 95%. It's funny how you realise some things when you turn around to reach for your phone. 

A phone that's charging on a wire just short of perfect length. That's how it is with the world, everything we buy, everything that is 'made' for 'people'. It's never exactly enough. Things always come up short, but just that little bit.

Have you noticed that the phone charging cable is always 5% too short? Well, for most of us. Especially the new crop of phones. Turns out my old phone had a charging cable close to twice as long, but the phone itself was 50% less capable, let alone 5%.

It's the case with everything. You can't have something perfect. There's a compromise. Your car may have Bluetooth, fancy LED lighting, but pathetic attention to detail in terms of safety could cost you when you least expect it. Good head-restraints and safety belts are what will save you in the event of something as 'petty' as a 30 km/h rear-end impact; not those fancy lights.

Television sets, audio systems - there's always something missing. And, it's not that you can't have the extra, you can, only it will cost you, and rather dearly. That's where the money comes in.

Some metaphors you can get lost in and lose track of reality.

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