When I make concessions for the sake of incremental progress, people say I’m abandoning my principles. When I fight for an ideal, others say I’m not being realistic. Someone takes offense no matter what my position is. So, should I be practical or principled?
If I say something like, “It’s impractical to cut all carbon emissions, and perhaps we should focus on restoring local ecosystems,” many will call me a monster and declare that I am hastening the end of all life. If, on the other hand, I demand that the world sacrifice everything to produce zero emissions, others will tell me I am a monster and destroying the lives of those who depend on dirty energy. It’s hard to win these days.
I would hear similar criticism for taking a stand on meat consumption, religious freedom, the casting of little people in fantasy movies, and the list goes on and on. So, I’ve been searching for a framework for thinking through when to advocate for an ideal and when to compromise. And this is what I’ve learned.
When to shoot for the moon
In some cases, the perfect solution may be within reach. So, there is no need to choose between what is best and what is reasonable. You can strive for both. For example, it is reasonable to advocate for removing cell phones from public schools. Most parents and teachers support this approach already.1 So, there may not be a need for incremental progress.
Radical changes, on the other hand, can be painful and highly disruptive. A jump toward an ideal is often the prelude to division, confusion, and even war. The journalist Fareed Zakaria talked about Russia’s attempt to transform a totally communist economy into a capitalist one during the 1990s.2 He said that the experiment failed, and the result was “the worst kind of crony capitalism…What works better [than revolutions] are slow, incremental, organic changes.”
When to settle
Generally, do not attempt to get everything you want in one decisive battle or die trying. Take as much ground as you reasonably can, and then plan your next campaign. Here is the crux of it – Cite the principle and then do what’s realistic. Let the uncompromising ones know that you share their ideals and that this is an incremental step in the right direction. This way, you are cleareyed about the overarching objectives and your own ability to achieve them. Because you know the enemy and yourself, you need not fear the result.3
For example, you might say, “I do not like abortion, and I promote this policy because it will lead to fewer of them.” You say this because you understand that if you stubbornly advocate for outlawing almost all abortions then you will not achieve your objective, and the pushback may be severe. There’s a good chance you will even lose ground.
Take reasonable strides toward the perfect
The only way to avoid choosing the practical or the principled is to say nothing, do nothing, and achieve nothing. If you want to have a positive impact in the world though, start small. Gradually approach the ideal. You can make great progress toward your objectives without betraying your ideals. In truth, each step up the mountain will give you are clearer vision of the summit and more confidence that you will arrive there.