Is the world mostly good or mostly evil? If the answer depends on us, how do we tip the scale in the right direction? Life is a series of crossroads and choices, but for each of us, the path toward a better world is a search for the sweet spot.
THE SWEET SPOT
As a Little Leaguer in the late ‘50s I wanted to trace the footsteps of Eddie Matthews, Hank Aaron or Warren Spahn. In the ’57 World Series, the Milwaukee Braves beat the Yankees and being a slugger was the goal on the school ball diamond. Except, I was a fussy eater . . . skinny as a rail and usually picked close to last when the teams were chosen . . . but that didn’t keep me from trying and Little League was the place to do it.
In one summer evening game, I was at the plate, aiming for the fence. The plan was to swing with all my might and somehow conquer my muscular deficit. To my surprise, I connected with the ball and heard the crack of the bat – literally. The ball sputtered away harmlessly, but the bat broke and to me, short of getting a homerun or even a hit, it was redemption enough.
My “accomplishment” earned me some time in the batting cage, where I learned about something called the sweet spot. That’s a place on the bat that makes the most of what you’ve got, a place where the forces of the universe unite to give the best effect and, from the coaches’ point of view, a place where fewer bats are broken.
Not long afterward, my baseball career ended, and I was astonished to find that sweet spots belong to more than baseball. In fact, they are everywhere. Almost any intersection of variables represented by matter or energy or a confluence of events has one and finding it can be half the battle. With the sweet spot in mind, a house purchase fits your budget, as well as your family and your new jacket has a detachable shell that makes it versatile and stylish, with room left over in your closet.
Sweet spots bring economy and efficiency to organizations as well. What manager doesn’t want a flexible, talented and motivated staff? Go up the ladder in any field and the most successful are likely to have an instinct for finding sweet spots.
The “best effect” can be more than gravy on the potatoes. It can also determine if something works at all. In Nature, the species that found sweet spots are the ones that haven’t gone extinct. Finding a sweet spot means they are still in the game. Sweet spots are everywhere, especially at the global level. If grade schoolers learn about them sooner and if they are taught to keep looking for them, it just might lead to fewer large scale catastrophes and a more sustainable future in the Big Leagues.