Monday Musings 263 – 1.01 versus .99
Some-times there is poetry in numbers. Recently I noticed a pearl in the
otherwise banal deluge on the whatsapp which had only two equations – that 1.01
raised to the power of 365 was equal to 37.8 and that in contrast .99 raised to
the power 356 was a paltry .03. Such was my disbelief in the enormity of the
difference that I actually went and checked it myself and found that the
calculation was indeed wrong. The later was actually .0255 and the author had
been rather kind and rounded it off to the next higher digit and in the process
save a bit of self respect for the tribe of .99.
I am sure the import of the equation is not very difficult to follow
although the enormity might be difficult to digest. A tiny, inconsequential, statistically meagre
difference over a large period of time becomes not only material and
substantial but as evident gargantuan. The finance guys call it the power of compounding.
I think the catchy concept might serve the purpose of explaining the phenomena
very well in the world of the measurable but is woefully inadequate in
expressing the enormity in the realm of the non measurable.
Over a long time how does one even begin to imagine the horrors two hour
of watching TV over twenty years wreck on human intellectual capacity. How does
one imagine what regular burger eating does over twenty years. I am sure there
are burger fans and the TV addicts who might find this illustration offensive
but then truth be told I cannot even begin to imagine the real long term impact
of a very minor difference compounded over an extended time frame – assuming I
can fathom the real implication of the equation above.
I am beginning to also ask myself how would this equation play out at
work place or friendships or other relationships or our commitment to our
professions. The difference between 1.01 and .99 is really too tiny and
imperceptible, something that would in all likelihood pass notice however real
it might be. The receiver of the service might not even know the difference, the
consumer might not even be articulate the difference even though she might
perceptually experience that tiny little gap rankling in her bones but the
difference there is. Over the period of time the difference not only becomes
material but also the differentiator. I wonder if I am the 1.01 kind or the .99
kind. I also wonder what will it take to know it.
I also ask myself what will it take for me to shift gears and then
sustain itself over long times. An example that has stuck with me over many
years illustrates the point. There was a
mason who was perturbed about a small imperfection very high on the ceiling;
upon being assured that no one else would notice it so high up, he remarks that
he would notice. I think clearly he was the 1.01 kind.
Very recently I came across a professional who was perturbed about a
satisfaction score of 4.62 as against the expectation of 4.68. I did not
understand then about what the fuss about a tiny .06 was but I know now. I
think they practice the power of 1.01.
Guru
No comments:
Post a Comment