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Approach buffets from both sides

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And shorten the wait for everyone. It’s amazing to me how often everyone pays for forgetting there are two accessible sides to a buffet.

Published 10 Jan 2015

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Big Ideas Little Pictures

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Don't ask the barber if you need a haircut

The paradox of choice

"Don't ask the barber if you need a haircut" is a simple reminder that asking someone with a vested interest in the outcome isn't likely to lead to an unbiased answer—"Do you need a haircut? Of course, you do!" Should I upgrade my phone? Mobile provider: Yes! Should I review my mortgage? Mortgage broker: Yes! Should I review my portfolio? Stockbroker: Yes! Should I get some more insurance? Insurance salesperson: Yes! Do I need a security audit? Cybersecurity firm: Yes! While we can decide about our hair with few consequences to anyone but ourselves, on more significant occasions or domains where we lack expertise, asking a professional may be precisely what we need. A professional with skills and knowledge we don't have can see what we can't. So, asking a professional to review what you're doing might tell you what you didn't and couldn't think to ask. Just be thoughtful about who and how you ask. Warren Buffet famously shared this phrase, though it appears in several similar earlier forms. I learned that in Italy, people say, "Don’t ask the innkeeper if the wine is good." Related Ideas to Don't Ask the Barber Also see: The Shirky Principle Goodhart's Law Campbell's Law The Law of Unintended Consequences This sketch, along with plenty of other sketches for advice, appears in my book Big Ideas Little Pictures"Don't ask the barber if you need a haircut" is a simple reminder that asking someone with a vested interest in the outcome isn't likely to lead to an unbiased answer—"Do you need a haircut? Of course, you do!" Should I upgrade my phone? Mobile provider: Yes! Should I review my mortgage? Mortgage broker: Yes! Should I review my portfolio? Stockbroker: Yes! Should I get some more insurance? Insurance salesperson: Yes! Do I need a security audit? Cybersecurity firm: Yes! While we can decide about our hair with few consequences to anyone but ourselves, on more significant occasions or domains where we lack expertise, asking a professional may be precisely what we need. A professional with skills and knowledge we don't have can see what we can't. So, asking a professional to review what you're doing might tell you what you didn't and couldn't think to ask. Just be thoughtful about who and how you ask. Warren Buffet famously shared this phrase, though it appears in several similar earlier forms. I learned that in Italy, people say, "Don’t ask the innkeeper if the wine is good." Related Ideas to Don't Ask the Barber Also see: The Shirky Principle Goodhart's Law Campbell's Law The Law of Unintended Consequences This sketch, along with plenty of other sketches for advice, appears in my book Big Ideas Little Pictures

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