Why This Famous Quote Is Incorrect And Misleading
personal growth

Why This Famous Quote Is Incorrect And Misleading

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This Famous Quote Is Wrong

There is an age-old phrase that goes like this; “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”.
But the problem with this phrase is that when you really think about it, the whole concept is essentially flawed. For example, just because something isn’t broken doesn’t mean it is good. Additionally, just because something is operational doesn’t mean it is productive, optimized or even proven. So that is why I disagree with this famous quote and why we need to start thinking about it differently.

The Calm Before The Storm

Personally, I believe that when something like a product or service isn’t “broken”, it is the best time to invest in improvements. This is just common sense because why wouldn’t you try to get ahead of the curve when you have greater access to time, resources and flexibility. So that is why I feel the best time to fix something or at least improve it is when it isn’t necessarily broken.
When you are given a moment of comfort and stability, that is when you need to be afraid. You need to invest in either a solution to future problems or improve the current concept. Why? We’ll constant innovation is one of the only strategies that will keep your company afloat when times get tough. Thus, that is why it is companies and individuals who constantly strive to improve things that aren’t broken who have had the greatest impact on the world.

Henry Ford Changed The World

Just think about this quote for a minute. Henry Ford once said,” If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses”. If you didn’t know, Henry Ford was the founder of Ford Motor company and he revolutionized the transportation industry. Thus, this quote basically sums up his life because he didn’t wait around to find out what the future would bring him, he innovated and invented.
Henry Ford changed consumer perspectives on transportation from horses and buggies to motor vehicles. He innovated and brought about a world-changing form of transportation inherently fixing and improving the current transportation methods on the market (which wasn’t necessarily broken).

Consumer Trends Are Tricky

Furthermore, if I haven’t convinced you about the problem with the phrase “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”, then I have one more example for you. Basically, if you don’t innovate or improve your company then the next time there is a drastic change in consumer trends or a catastrophic disaster, your business will be left behind.
Let’s just take a look back in history on what happened to the typewriter or Windows Live Messenger. These products were essentially left in the past when a better product and process came around which met consumer needs more effectively. So even though they were the best of their time for what they did, the cause of their downfall was that they stopped innovating and when consumer trends changed they were never able to adapt to the market. So the minute phone text messaging and Blackberry Messenger (BBM) came around windows live messenger was dead similar to how when personal computers came to market, the typewriter was no longer needed.

You Can Always Improve

So the next time someone says the phrase to you, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. Please reply to them, “oh like the typewriter or Windows Live Messenger”.

If you enjoyed reading this blog post then you might also enjoy, “The Modern Perfectionist Dilemma“.

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Bradley Thompson

Bradley Thompson

Founder of Living The Canadian Dream
Bradley Thompson is a very Canadian lifestyle blogger, digital marketer and growth hacker from Toronto who is passionate about inspiring people through his blog and vlog. Although he lives a busy life he is dedicated to personal growth, developing his expertise and growing his blog, "Living the Canadian dream"!