Quality and quantity

Worth pondering:

A pottery teacher divided a class of new students into Group A and Group B. Group A was graded only on quantity-- if you make 10 pounds of pottery, you get an A, 9 pounds is a B, etc. Group B was graded only on quality-- make the single finest piece you can, and you have all semester to do it.

Group A set about cranking out pieces. Group B set about learning the fine points of pottery aesthetics.

At the end of the semester, the quality of Group A's pottery was higher, even though they were graded only on quantity. Why? Because they actually made pottery without thinking about it. Unconsciously, they learned to make the pieces more shapely, more delicate, just through muscle learning. Group B wasted time with in-the-head learning and didn't get enough practical experience.

Quantity and quality are not necessary opposed.