The 80/20 Rule

    Lately I have been citing the “80/20 Rule” fairly often. Let me set up the story. On Fridays
I ask a couple of homeless guests to accompany me to the New Hampshire Food Bank where I pick up 50 pans of food to serve for lunch for the next week. It’s very valuable to me to have their assistance.

    Over the past few months I can count on about 6-8 different guys who will usually volunteer quickly to help me. Others will pitch in now and again, depending on a variety of factors. Most turn away when I ask.Among those 6-8 dependable guys, I frequently hear one of them say, “How come more people don’t volunteer? You give them a free lunch.The least they can do is ride over and help pick it up.”

    Of course the logic is impeccable. But logic does not make the world go `round. What does make the world go round is the Pareto Principle, also called the 80/20 rule. It states that 80% of the work is done by 20% of the people. Or, in its variants:  80% of the results come from 20% of the causes.  

    In all my years in various communities, I have seen the truth of this Principle proven again and again.  And now I see it at the Homeless Center. I saw how true it was with CEOs and physicians when I worked in Connecticut, and I see it as true now with the homeless. 

    What does that tell me? That the Pareto principle applies to human nature, regardless of income or circumstance. Because I have lived for so long with this Principle,  it’s simply part of my view of the world as it is. On Fridays at the Homeless Center, I am always grateful for those who choose to help, and I do not resent those who won’t. I am neither surprised nor disappointed by the reality of human behavior. Acceptance is a big first step toward peace of mind.