# A Tale of Two Donut Shops By:: [[Ross Jackson]] 2022-12-17 It was the best of donuts, it was the worst of donuts, it was the age of information, it was an age of willful ignorance, we had a life of relative ease and abundance, and nothing for which to live. There is a relatively small town in which there are two donut shops of the same parent company. These donut shops are two and a half miles apart. Similar in nearly every way. Hiring employees from the same pool of applicants. Serving the same customer base. The only observable difference is the quality of the donuts. One store simply made donuts to be sold, the other made donuts that were visually appealing. It is important to note that the difference between the presentation of the donuts was not artistic it was quality. Since the two shops were from the same parent company the donut “styles” were the same. In an industrialized world, they would have been indistinguishable. It was clear, however, that the individual in one of the stores took pride in one’s work and wanted the donuts to be well made, whereas the other individual didn’t care at all. This might sound like an insignificant difference. Who cares? The donut will be gone within five minutes of being sold. There is an artistic technique in which one paints with water on a piece of rice paper. The art lasts only minutes until the water evaporates. The point of creation isn’t longevity, it is creation. The point of quality isn’t attraction, it is pride. Industrialization impeded the development of satisfaction in one’s work. In the age of choice, people decide how much of themselves to invest in their pursuits. The tale of two donut shops suggests that quality matters even when what is being produced is fleeting. #### Related Items [[Work]] [[Quality]] [[Choice]]