"Moreover, [[Robert Goodin|Goodin]] observes, **we tend to contrast a life of settling with a life of what he labels “striving,” or living life to the fullest. But this is a mistake, too, and not just because settling is unavoidable but also because living life to the fullest requires settling**. "You must settle, in a relatively enduring way, upon something that will be the object of your striving, in order for that striving to count as striving,” he writes: **you can’t become an ultrasuccessful lawyer or artist or politician without first “settling” on law, or art, or politics, and therefore deciding to forgo the potential rewards of other careers**. If you flit between them all, you’ll succeed in none of them. "Likewise, **there’s no possibility of a romantic relationship being truly fulfilling unless you’re willing, at least for a while, to settle for that specific relationship, with all its imperfections**—which means spurning the seductive lure of an infinite number of superior imaginary alternatives." --- **Tags** -- [[quotes]], [[optionality-trap]], [[acceptance]], [[making-decisions]], [[perfectionism]], **Source** -- [[202410130434 - B - Four Thousand Weeks]] **See Also** -- [[202410151020 - AtN - The grass is greenest only in your head]]