Function versus form

In 1968, Dick Fosbury won the 1968 Summer Olympics high jump with an unconventional: he cleared the bar with a "flop", which was described that way by the media because the motion resembled that of a fish out of water.

The result inspired a revolution in the high jump. Despite the awkward appearance (you'd be hard pressed to find a graceful photograph of a modern high jump), the "Fosbury flop" was quickly adopted by most elite jumpers. From 1980 onwards, all Olympic champions have utilized the flop style.

On a similar note, we have Rick Barry, once named one of the 50 greatest basketball players in history by the NBA. He led the league in free throws six times and averaged a 90% free throw percentage over his career, an NBA record at the time of his retirement in 1980. He did this while employing an underhanded technique, which the media dubbed the "granny style" free throw.

However, unlike the Fosbury's flop, Barry's granny style free throws never caught on with other NBA players, despite strong evidence that it's the superior method. According to one NBA hall of fame inductee who barely shot 50% from the free throw line:

"I told Rick Barry I’d rather shoot 0% than shoot underhand. I'm too cool for that." - Shaquille O'Neal

In the Olympics, only the numerical results matter. If you jump higher than everybody else while following the rules, you win the gold medal and make history. In the NBA, however, an argument could be made that looking good matters more if it impacts a player's popularity with fans.

Then, in our own lives, should we choose to achieve the best results or sacrifice them in favor of looking good? Function or form - which is more important?

I would argue that for most people, function matters more. Very few of us depend on popularity with a fan following for our livelihood. Rarely do we gain any tangible value from choosing or doing something just because it looks better, especially if doing so entails sacrifice on another dimension such as cost or results.

A classic example is luxury products versus performance products. A Moncler parka might look nice, but a Canada Goose parka will actually keep you warm when it's 30 degrees below zero. A Patek Phillipe watch might tell you the moon phase, but an Apple Watch can call 911. A Gucci backpack... has Gucci logos on it. My Osprey backpack can hold 60L while remaining carry-on compliant, is water resistant, and has mesh water bottle pockets and straps for even weight distribution.

In terms of behavior, calling a Didi might seem more sophisticated, but I've found it's rarely faster than taking a shared bike plus metro ride. My hair may sometimes look like a blind man gave me a buzzcut (not far from the truth, actually), but I don't need to spend time and money visiting hair salons. And so on.

I think this concept could be applied frequently to lifestyle reduction. When you consider purchasing a product or service, first ask yourself: "Am I paying for its function, or am I paying for its form?" If it's moreso for the latter, I'd advise avoiding the purchase. Making a habit out of this will pay significant dividends over the long-term.