Perfect Solution Fallacy: The Flawless Solution Myths You Believe

The perfect solution or nirvana fallacy is our tendency to assume that there is a flawless solution to a particular problem. By operating under this false dichotomy that there exists an option which is obviously advantageous — even if it is completely unrealistic — you freeze in inaction and oppose ideas because they are imperfect. Under this fallacy, the choice is between one realistic possibility and another, imagined, quixotic solution that exists primarily in your mind. As Voltaire wrote nearly three-hundred years ago, “Perfect is the enemy of good.”

In reality, perfect solutions do not exist. This is binary thinking in action. Instead of seeing a scale of how great a solution is with multiple elements of a given problem, it is reduced to a “good” and “bad” solution. Here are some examples. “These anti-drunk driving ad campaigns won’t work. People are still going to drive and drive.” The idea isn’t to completely eradicate drunk driving, but to reduce it. “Seat belts are stupid. People are still going to die in car crashes.” While seat belts don’t make driving entirely safe, they do reduce your likelihood of dying in a car crash. “Medical testing on animals is useless. The drug passed animal tests resulted in terrible side effects when used by my pregnant spouse.” This is of course ignorant of the thousands of drugs which did not pass animal testing and of specific triggers their spouse could have had with caused the side effects.

The idea is comparing existing, real solutions to imagined, ideal solutions. It’s a form of perfectionism. Many people hold that a perfect solution does exist. Though we know this is just a cocktail of wishful and black-and-white thinking. Solutions shouldn’t be rejected just because part of the problem exists after it is applied. Yes, wearing a mask does not fully protect you from covid-19. Yes, people who wear seat belts still die in car crashes. Yes, making underage drinking illegal won’t stop kids from getting alcohol. No, this does not mean masks, seat belts, and the minimum age for drinking stupid. The idea is improvement, not to eradicate all of negativity.

Otherwise you will employ a perfectionistic mindset. By aiming for perfect, you will ignore useful. By trying to completely solve a problem, you will fail to choose improvement. Because you don’t have the perfect website, you won’t launch a project. Because you haven’t finished your degree, you will not start honing your skills by consulting clients. The key to success is incremental improvement, not a perfect solution. It’s better to try baking a cake even if it does not turn out perfect. It’s better to run for a few minutes daily than to plop on your couch just because you cannot yet run an ultra-marathon.

Real-world instances of the perfect solution fallacy:

• Public Policy: a government is considering environmental regulations to reduce pollution. Critics argue against the policy since it won’t completely eradicate pollution. The rejection of a viable policy results in continued environmental harm, even though partial measures could have substantially improved air quality.

• Business Strategy: a company debates over launching a new product. Decision-makers dismiss the idea because the product won’t capture market share immediately. The company misses out on an opportunity to gain a competitive edge, as even a modest market share could have paved the way for future growth.

• Health: a new treatment for a disease shows promise but isn’t wholly effective. Patients and doctors reject the treatment, waiting for a perfect cure. Many miss out on the potential benefits to their quality of life, as the treatment still offers significant improvement as opposed to nothing or other medicines.

• Product Development: a tech company considers releasing a software update that fixes most, but not all, bugs. The team delays the update, aiming for a perfect patch. Users continue experiencing issues the update could have resolved, and the company falls behind competitors who are more iterative about their improvement.

How you might use the perfect solution fallacy as a mental model: (1) detect it — identify where you, your team, or your organization dismisses improvements just because they are not perfect; (2) change your frame of mind — value continuous, incremental progress, rather than waiting for an ideal solution which probably does not exist; (3) make it mathematical — evaluate the cost of inaction versus the gain of implementing a “good enough” solution, and you’ll quickly see that “perfect” isn’t needed; (4) set benchmarks — establish performance metrics for improvement rather than unattainable ideals, using these as flagpoles to measure progress; (5) encourage experimentation — promote an environment where trying and learning from new approaches and failures is valued over awaiting a “perfect” initiative.