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Debunking the Myths: "The Ceramic Pottery Paradox: Quantity Breeds Quality"

Part of the "Debunking the Myths" series - Challenging outdated assumptions in learning and productivity

The Experiment 1

A ceramics teacher divided her class into two groups:

  • Quality Group: Judged solely on the aesthetic quality of their pots.
  • Quantity Group: Judged by how many pots they produced, regardless of appearance.

After a few weeks, an unexpected outcome emerged: the highest-quality pots came from the Quantity Group.

The Surprising Outcome

Contrary to intuition, the group focused on quantity - Produced many pots - Quickly learned from each failure - Iterated rapidly

Meanwhile, the group focused on quality - Spent excessive time planning and theorizing - Hesitated to experiment - Produced very few pots

The Key Lesson

Quantity and quality are not opposites.

By producing a large volume of work—and constantly learning and tracking progress—the Quantity Group achieved superior quality over time. In essence:

  • Practice through volume accelerates learning.
  • Failure becomes feedback, not a deterrent.
  • Iteration refines skill, leading to excellence.

Implications for Personal Growth

  1. Embrace volume: Don’t wait for perfect conditions; start creating.
  2. Monitor progress: Track outcomes and learn from mistakes.
  3. Iterate rapidly: Use each attempt to refine technique.

This approach applies beyond pottery—to writing, programming, art, and more: produce actively to improve effectively.

  1. https://blog.medium.com/find-opportunity-in-what-other-people-undervalue-e5849a7e86ef ↩