THE
LAW OF DIMINISHING RETURNS
By Bret Burquest
There is a principle in economics called the law of
diminishing returns. Basically, events
have an apex point where more of a good thing is no longer beneficial.
The law of diminishing returns holds for almost every aspect
of life.
For example, little or no food is bad for your health and too
much food is also bad for your health.
Too little rain can cause a disaster and too much rain can also cause a
disaster.
The point of diminishing returns always peaks somewhere
between too little and too much.
Having a couple of pets can be a joy for some people. If you have 40 or 50 of them, you have
slipped past the point of diminishing returns.
You also have an odor problem.
A significant other, such as a girlfriend or boyfriend or life
partner, may bring added fulfillment to your life. But if you have more than one significant
other, you’re added fulfillment will likely be transformed into added anguish.
Thus, the point of diminishing returns for the accumulation of significant
others usually peaks at one.
In my case, it usually peaks at zero. Hooking up with the
wrong woman is a lot like taunting a wolverine – at some point, things will
turn ugly.
There's even a point of diminishing returns when it comes to
wealth. It would be nice to have enough
money to do everything you desire. But
if you become rich beyond the capacity to deal with it, you’ll soon learn not
to trust anyone and be forced to hire accountants to keep an eye on your
accountants.
The law of diminishing returns works on large scale matters
as well.
A well-regulated militia, as suggested in the US
Constitution, should be adequate to protect us from our neighboring countries. Having enough nuclear weapons to kill
everyone on the planet several hundred times seems to be beyond the point of
diminishing returns. Personally, I don’t
feel safer simply because we have missiles pointing at those who have missiles
pointing at us.
The lack of a common agreement within a group of people (in
the form of government) leads to chaos. You can't have an orderly, secure
society without a basic set of reasonable rules. But the formation of
government requires constant scrutiny. Those who seek power over others
inevitably attempt to control governments, often leading to corruption or
brutal totalitarian rule.
On the other hand, too much government is often more
destructive than the lack of government. A collectivist society (such as
socialism or communism) enslaves everyone into a rigid system of bureaucratic
inefficiency.
There must be a reasonable middle ground, where people can
be as free as possible without infringing upon the freedom of others.
Agreeing on the point of diminishing returns at a national
level is always a tug-of-war between those who desire to be independent and
those who feel compelled to impose their will on others. Unfortunately, the
more we strive to become a cohesive society, the less individual freedom we are
allowed to enjoy.
The national debt of the
Clearly, moderation is the key to happiness.
This is good news for me. I live such a modest existence I
must be one happy hombre.
___________
Quote for the Day – "A nation of sheep will beget a
government of wolves" Edward R. Morrow
___________
***
Bret Burquest is an award-winning
columnist and author of four novels. Contact bret@centurytel.net
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