Maximizers and minimizers

My partner and I come from two different crops of people. He comes from a nest of maximizers, and I from one of minimizers.

Maximizers believe that everything with the potential to be a problem should be made into one, including things that aren’t really problems.

Minimizers believe that anything with the potential to be a problem must be ignored, including things that are really problems.

For a minimizer amongst maximizers, the focus on seemingly needless conflict feels hostile. Why can’t we all just get along?

For a maximizer amongst minimizers, the lack of discussion about obvious problems feels alarming. Who are you people and what do you really think?

There’s no real moral or ending to this blog post, just that it’s important to know what type of -izer you’re dealing with, so you can better understand their tendencies towards making or avoiding conflict.