You know you are in a race to the bottom when you are chasing the lowest common denominator.

A culture collapses when it tries to accomodate the widest variety of people, because this forces you towards the lowest common denominator.

You get the shittiest job when you cast the net widest. When you say “I’ll take anything…” Because that will force you to try to appeal to the largest number of possibilities, not the best possibilities. Quantity over quality.

Dating apps. The epitome of a race to the bottom. The very definition of lowest common denominator. Yuck 🤮

So what is the opposite of the lowest common denominator?

In maths, its the highest common factor.

How does that translate to real life?

Well, factors are the things which make other things. (For example, “His great wealth was a factor in his success…”)

If you want to race to the top, instead of chasing the lowest common denominator, you chase the highest common factor.

In most cases, this will be the highest common value.

(Value in this case meaning your set of values. The things that matter most to you.)

Instead of reducing yourself to fit with what is available, find your highest values. (Maslow’s Hierarchy can help here…)

Now find the people, the jobs, the opportunities that match you at your highest possible values.

As you go up, they will get fewer in number.

But that’s OK.

Quality over quantity, remember…?