Happy Principle of Feasible Reduction

The Holiday Concept That Won’t Let You Turn Away

Feasible Reduction: The Holiday Concept That Won’t Let You Turn Away

It’s the holiday season, and if there’s one thing we’re all great at this time of year, it’s talking around things. Whether it’s a family member dodging the elephant in the room or society sidestepping the things that really hurt, the holidays are a masterclass in avoidance. But this year, I want to offer a new idea—a gift, really—that cuts through the noise and helps us stop turning away: feasible reduction.

Here’s the principle: if we can reduce suffering without creating more, we should. Sounds obvious, right? So obvious it barely feels worth saying. But look closer, because the simplicity is exactly why we so often let it slip through our fingers.

The thing is, we’re messy thinkers. When we talk about reducing suffering, we conflate two things: feasibility and desirability. We ask, “Can we do this?” and before answering, we pivot to, “Do we even want to?” This blurring is how we avoid clarity. It’s how we allow inertia, discomfort, or fear to win the day, especially when what’s feasible today might not have been yesterday—and vice versa.

The spirit of feasible reduction starts with separating those two questions: What’s possible? and What do we value enough to pursue? And it doesn’t stop there. It demands vigilance. As technology shifts and culture evolves, feasibility and desirability are moving targets. The real tragedy isn’t that suffering exists—it’s how long we let it persist needlessly. Feasible reduction is about shortening that delay.

The Problem Isn’t Charity—It’s Clarity

Let’s get something straight: this isn’t about charity. It’s not about your holiday donations or whether you feel like sharing your leftovers with the less fortunate. Charity is a band-aid, and frankly, it’s often not feasible as a long-term solution. What I’m talking about is something deeper—a shift in how we think and talk about change.

Conversations about suffering, whether it’s systemic or personal, usually stall because we don’t formalize the process of thinking about it. Instead of cleanly identifying what’s possible and what we value, we default to vague fatalism:

• “Life’s unfair.”

• “People will always suffer.”

• “That’s just human nature.”

These statements aren’t answers. They’re shields to protect us from asking harder questions: What matters to us? What would we be willing to do to make it happen? And has feasibility changed since the last time we checked?

Feasible reduction asks us to step into a new kind of conversation—not just with others, but with ourselves. It demands that we admit when the delay between progress and action isn’t caused by impossibility, but by our own reluctance to prioritize what we claim to value.

The Missing Piece in the Serenity Prayer

The Serenity Prayer gives us a nice blueprint: accept what you can’t change, change what you can, and know the difference. But feasible reduction goes further. It asks us to keep track of what we value—not just what’s possible.

It’s one thing to accept that something can’t be fixed right now. But if you care about reducing suffering, you can’t leave it there. You need to revisit the question. You need a protocol for checking in, noticing when feasibility has shifted, and holding yourself accountable to act when the time is right.

This is where feasible reduction shines: it insists we formalize that vigilance. Technology evolves. Cultures shift. What was impossible yesterday might be possible tomorrow—but if no one’s paying attention, we miss the window. Suffering lingers, needlessly, because we weren’t ready to act when the stars aligned.

The Holiday Reminder We All Need

Here’s the truth: suffering can’t wait. It doesn’t take a holiday. And while the principle of feasible reduction isn’t about guilt or impossible ideals, it is about urgency. It’s about refusing to let good ideas drift out of focus simply because it’s easier to avoid thinking about them.

So this season, while you’re reflecting on what matters to you, try asking yourself these questions:

1. What kinds of suffering do I care about reducing?

2. If I don’t think something is feasible, when will I revisit that assumption?

3. And if I don’t want to reduce suffering, am I willing to be honest about why?

Feasible reduction doesn’t ask you to fix the world overnight. It just asks you to show up—to engage with the messy, evolving process of change and to stop letting suffering persist longer than it has to.

And maybe, just maybe, it’s the kind of clarity that turns this holiday into something more than just another season of avoiding hard truths. After all, isn’t the point of all this—a warm dinner, a bright tree, a moment of connection—to remind us what’s possible when we actually care enough to try?

Please let me know your thoughts. Perhaps they matter more than you know. ❤️