Proper optimization is holistic

Optimization is sometimes confused with maximization. When optimizing for only one quality or characteristic, optimization looks exactly like maximization.

However, when optimization is involved in an outcome, it protects itself from being oversimplified to a maximization.

Proper optimization of any quality or outcome must always be able to adjust itself when it is failing to optimally reach its goal. Successful optimization must constantly be examining its opportunity costs, and making choices to improve itself. This is the operative definition of optimization.

For this reason, I tend to not give much weight to arguments that argue against thinking in terms of optimization. If anything matters…, then optimization matters. It doesn’t mean that optimization needs to be single-minded (i.e. maximization). It only means that while there is such thing as an Opportunity Cost, optimization is desirable.