Quality vs Quantity


Hey friend,​​

At some point, everyone in the pursuit of success stumbles into the same debate:

Quality vs. Quantity.

Which one matters more?

Early on, the answer seems obvious. Work more, train more, practice more—because surely, effort scales directly with success.

More work = More results.

Simple.

Except, eventually, reality hits.

The real formula isn’t just about how much you do. It’s about how well you do it.

And this is where things get tricky.

Because while we love to believe that quality over quantity is the ultimate wisdom, the truth is:

  1. You can’t achieve mastery without quantity of practice.
  2. The quality of practice depends on knowing what “good” actually looks like.

So yes, you need to put in the reps. But those reps need to be meaningful.

And here’s the problem—most people don’t actually know what quality looks like.

They think they do.

They assume their standards are high.

They believe they’re working smart.

But they aren’t.

And this is exactly where the Dunning-Kruger Effect comes in.

This cognitive bias explains why the less experience we have, the more confident we are in our abilities.

Simply put: The less we know, the more we think we know.

This is why young athletes believe they’re training the right way—despite never having spent time with a pro.

It’s why high schoolers assume they’re the smartest in the class—because they’re only comparing themselves to people their age.

It’s why I thought my gym work was effective—until I realized I wasn’t making any real progress.

I was putting in the hours. The quantity was there.

But the quality wasn’t.

Everything changed when I shifted focus.

I started paying attention to how I was lifting, not just how often.

I studied how professionals trained—their mindset, their technique, their approach.

And the results? Night and day.

The solution is simple, but not easy:

Seek out the best. Find those who are at the level you want to reach. Observe. Learn.

Refine before you multiply. Get the quality right first—then scale up the reps.

Don’t mistake effort for effectiveness. Just because you’re logging hours doesn’t mean you’re improving.

The biggest trap?

Thinking that just because you’re working hard, you’re doing the right work.

It’s not binary. It’s not just quality or just quantity.

But quality is the lever that makes quantity meaningful.

And depending on where you are, you may need more reps before you can refine the technique.

Just don’t mistake movement for progress.

Because if you’re going to put in the work, make sure it actually counts.

Quote I liked

If you want to learn how to win, you must learn how to lose.

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Lewis

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