MORE BETTER

Luis Hernandez looked at a broken gate he had fixed for us and said, “There, now it’s more better.”

While that may seem redundant or grammatically incorrect, I grew to like “more better” as I believed it summed up what we need on many fronts, “more better.”  I am indebted to Luis for this insight and understanding.

After several years of blogging, talking and consulting on the topic of “Better,” and responding to others who expressed more than a passing interest, I wondered what it would look like to explore the “idea of better” further and expand thinking about what “MORE BETTER” means in the workplace, in the home and in our human relationships

I was inspired by Atul Gawande’s 2007 publication of “Better: A Surgeon’s Notes on Performance”. I had already devoured his first book called “Complications: A Surgeon’s Notes on Imperfect Performance” that came out in 2002.  Thus it was no surprise that I was delighted with his two other books, “The Checklist Manifesto: How To Get Things Right” (2010) and “Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters In The End” (2014).  His TED talk is legendary and his skills as a surgeon and as a writer are admirable.

The word “better” can be used as an adjective, noun, adverb or verb.  The different forms all suggest a change from a previous state to a current one that is an improvement or better than what it was previously. The etymology of the word “better” refers to Old English *beterian “improve, amend, make better,” from Proto-Germanic *batizojan (source also of Old Frisian beteria, Dutch beteren, Old Norse betra, Old High German baziron, German bessern), from *batizo- (see better (adj.)). Meaning “exceed, surpass, outdo” is from 1540s. Betterment is a synonym for improvement as in “they believed that what they were doing was vital for the betterment of society.”

There is a general understanding and agreement of what “better” means and how we use the word to describe a change from a condition less preferred to another more preferred.  In English grammar, “better” is the comparative form and stands between good and best, the superlative form.  Comparative is between two things and superlative is among three or more.  One definition of better is “more good” which I find interesting because that is exactly what Luis Hernandez said, when he fixed something and improved it to a better condition.  Now I wonder if we could say “more best” and make sense of that?  For now, let’s go with MORE BETTER.

First, look at where we could be and do better and see whether or not there are avenues that we could explore that would suggest concrete and specific ways to improve those conditions and situations over which we have some control.  This may be to say that we can influence improvement in the areas of climate change, health care, education and the political arena or other global issues such as the poverty, hunger and disease on the world stage.  We see individuals and groups who are committed to positive change and improvement in those arenas and we have the option to join in any of those that appeal to our values about what are most important and where we believe we could make a contribution of one kind or another that would improve the lives of those most affected.

I love the quote from Maya Angelou: “I did then what I knew how to do. Now that I know better, I do better.”   I remember my parents and teachers saying to me, “You know better” and “You can do better.”  Both of those must have stuck because I have invested and enjoyed a lifetime of learning, growing, changing while trying to be and do better.  I wrote “Seven Decades: A Learning Memoir” (River House Press, 2013).  It was a summary of watershed learning experiences from each of the seven decades beginning in the 1940’s that shaped, influenced and changed me, hopefully for the better. It is now a decade later and I believe I am “more better” now than I was many years ago, or a few years ago or even a month ago.  Not all the life changes that go along with aging will belong in this category.  However, when we invest ourselves in becoming more better to the extent possible, that is enough reason for celebrating life as we know it.

May you find ways for “more better” in your lives and in those around you.