How to Make Things Faster

Chapter 60. Collateral Damage

One early afternoon in a yellow house a few miles outside of Copenhagen, several friends and I were visiting together from all over the world for a conference. It was January, which means that outside it was dark and raining and about a thousandth of a degree above freezing. Inside, though, was a totally different story. I felt unbearably hot. As I made my way over to the exterior door to get some fresh air, it occurred to me that perhaps fanning the door a time or two might make the room more comfortable. However, before doing so, my manners kicked in, and I asked if anybody would mind if I fanned in some cold air.

One of my friends from Holland looked up from his laptop and said bluntly (as Dutch friends will do), “Why don’t you just take off your fokking sweater?” At this point I realized that indeed I was still wearing a heavy sweater, made from layers of GoreTex®, Thinsulate™, and Icelandic lambswool, with a zippered collar that went up to my ears. It was equipment exceptionally well suited for the outdoor Danish climate, where, at the time, I happened not to be. When I took it off, I was comfortable and happy, and of course the solution that my friend had so delicately suggested hadn’t messed up the interior weather for anyone else in the room.

It’s the same for all kinds of systems: improving one experience can accidentally degrade another. Here are some other examples:

• Using the car to make your errand faster causes your spouse to be late ...