The Pareto principle states that, for many events, roughly 80% of the effects come from 20% of the causes. Management consultant Joseph M. Juran suggested the principle and named it after Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto, who noted the 80/20 connection while at the University of Lausanne in 1896, as published in his first paper, “Cours d’économie politique”. Essentially, Pareto showed that approximately 80% of the land in Italy was owned by 20% of the population.
Give me the fruitful error any time, full of seeds, bursting with its own corrections. You can keep your sterile truth for yourself. Vilfredo Pareto
The story of my very first sale is the fact that I dreamed up a foolproof paper to cheat an insurance company out of several hundred thousand dollars. Once I had all the facts in, I found I didn’t have the immoral courage to pull the caper. So I wrote it as a story. As a teenager, I didn’t have any skills for writing as such, so it came out in 1500 words. Theodore Sturgeon
I learned how to live on five and sometimes ten dollars a week. Theodore Sturgeon
Inner space is so much more interesting, because outer space is so empty. Theodore Sturgeon
It’s not at all confusing. It means that 90% of the 20% running things will be morons. You can see it in practice easily enough, but remember to always presume that the people who control things in your life are in the 10% that aren’t morons. It doesn’t help not to, after all.
So the solution is to develop a reliable way to know in advance which 10% of books, art, music, etc., aren’t crap so that you can avoid wasting time on the 90% that are.
I’ll let you know when I find it.
My corollary to Sturgeon’s Law: There’s too damn much of everything.
Theodore Sturgeon came up with this line off the top of his head in an irritated retort to a radio interviewer who twitted him about writing science fiction “because 90% of science fiction is crap.” Sturgeon emphasized the “everything” in his reply.
Pareto’s principle applies recursively to any sample or sub-sample. So, 20% of the total population controls 80% of the wealth; 4% of the population (20% of the 20%) controls 64% of the wealth (80% of the 80%); and 1% of the population (20% of the 20% of the 20%) controls 51.2% of the wealth (80% of the 80% of the 80% of the total wealth). Isn’t math fun?
This is kind of an afterthought to the acronym discussion a few days ago, but Sufamelico’s comment reminded me: there is a group called the Senior Housing Assistance Group. They had ads on buses with their phone number: “Call 1-800-For-SHAG”. Anybody remember the big flap over the Austin Powers movie title “The Spy Who Shagged Me”?
Yakety Sax almost 6 years ago
The Pareto principle states that, for many events, roughly 80% of the effects come from 20% of the causes. Management consultant Joseph M. Juran suggested the principle and named it after Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto, who noted the 80/20 connection while at the University of Lausanne in 1896, as published in his first paper, “Cours d’économie politique”. Essentially, Pareto showed that approximately 80% of the land in Italy was owned by 20% of the population.
Give me the fruitful error any time, full of seeds, bursting with its own corrections. You can keep your sterile truth for yourself. Vilfredo Pareto
The story of my very first sale is the fact that I dreamed up a foolproof paper to cheat an insurance company out of several hundred thousand dollars. Once I had all the facts in, I found I didn’t have the immoral courage to pull the caper. So I wrote it as a story. As a teenager, I didn’t have any skills for writing as such, so it came out in 1500 words. Theodore Sturgeon
I learned how to live on five and sometimes ten dollars a week. Theodore Sturgeon
Inner space is so much more interesting, because outer space is so empty. Theodore Sturgeon
jpayne4040 almost 6 years ago
knowing this kid, he’s going to be in that 10%!
Brass Orchid Premium Member almost 6 years ago
It’s not at all confusing. It means that 90% of the 20% running things will be morons. You can see it in practice easily enough, but remember to always presume that the people who control things in your life are in the 10% that aren’t morons. It doesn’t help not to, after all.
rugeirn almost 6 years ago
Frazz needs an arithmetic lesson.
Ignatz Premium Member almost 6 years ago
Pareto overstated it by a factor of at least 10.
mauser7 almost 6 years ago
I forget the author’s name but the corollary to Sturgeon’s Law, is “99% of Politics”
The Brooklyn Accent almost 6 years ago
So the solution is to develop a reliable way to know in advance which 10% of books, art, music, etc., aren’t crap so that you can avoid wasting time on the 90% that are.
I’ll let you know when I find it.
My corollary to Sturgeon’s Law: There’s too damn much of everything.
Uncle Bob almost 6 years ago
Teslacle’s Deviant to Fudd’s Law: Half of what goes in here must come out there…
Richard S Russell Premium Member almost 6 years ago
Theodore Sturgeon came up with this line off the top of his head in an irritated retort to a radio interviewer who twitted him about writing science fiction “because 90% of science fiction is crap.” Sturgeon emphasized the “everything” in his reply.
Stephen Gilberg almost 6 years ago
Remember when they couldn’t say “crap” in a family comic?
puddleglum1066 almost 6 years ago
Pareto’s principle applies recursively to any sample or sub-sample. So, 20% of the total population controls 80% of the wealth; 4% of the population (20% of the 20%) controls 64% of the wealth (80% of the 80%); and 1% of the population (20% of the 20% of the 20%) controls 51.2% of the wealth (80% of the 80% of the 80% of the total wealth). Isn’t math fun?
childe_of_pan almost 6 years ago
This is kind of an afterthought to the acronym discussion a few days ago, but Sufamelico’s comment reminded me: there is a group called the Senior Housing Assistance Group. They had ads on buses with their phone number: “Call 1-800-For-SHAG”. Anybody remember the big flap over the Austin Powers movie title “The Spy Who Shagged Me”?