Quantity Over Quality - 13 Examples Where Quantity Wins (2024)

You’ve probably heard the saying quality over quantity. And like most people, you’re likely to choose quality over quantity.

However, that’s not always the case.

In some situations, quantity triumphs over quality.

But what are these situations?

In today’s post, we discuss 13 instances where quantity wins over quality.

Here’s what you’ll learn

Let’s get right into it!

Which is Better, Quantity or Quality?

Achieving both quality and quantity at the same time is what we all aspire to. However, achieving equal measures of both is impossible.

At one point, you’ll have to make a trade-off.

If you want quantity, then quality is likely to suffer.

Likewise, if you’re seeking a high-quality end product/service, your focus will be on its quality and not the sheer number in production or delivered.

Sometimes quality Wins over Quantity, and sometimes quantity wins.

13 Examples Where Quantity Wins

#1. Money

Quick question, if someone came to you on the street and gave you $100,000 in dirty hundred-dollar bills, would you take it or turn it down?

Personally, I’d take it.

Even if some of the notes were torn, written on, and wrinkled, I’d still take them.

This is because, when it comes to money, it’s better to have more dirty bills than a few new bills.

Even when it comes to having alternative sources of income, it’s better to have several average sources of income than only depending on your salary.

The more sources of income you have, the more likely you are to achieve financial independence.

#2. Electronic Manufacturing

This may sound unethical, but from an electronic manufacturer’s perspective, quantity is better than quality.

Would you rather sell one product every ten years at a premium price or multiple products over ten years at an average price?

As an intelligent business person, you’d take the latter, right?

Producing more electronics relies on the planned obsolescence strategy, where products run perfectly for several years, then break down and need replacement.

With such a strategy, you’ll always be in business and won’t have to worry about those expensive R&D costs that come with producing higher-quality electronics.

Quality also doesn’t last forever!

The faster it breaks down (and consequently needs replacing), the more money you make. So, from an electronic manufacturer’s perspective, quantity is better than quality when making money.

#3. Politics

In politics, quantity reigns over quality.

This is mainly because of the way we vote (one vote per person). Most political aspirants don’t care about the quality of their supporters. However, they care about numbers.

More people equal more votes. More votes equal a win. If you’re looking to make quick gains, quantity is better than quality when it comes to politics.

Without some statistical edge or a large group of supporters willing to invest time in a particular candidate, even excellent politicians can only do so much against those with more numbers.

#4. Feeding Programs

The thought is that when people are hungry, quantity matters more than quality.

Take the example of a feeding program for the less fortunate.

It’s better to feed 30 homeless people with basic meals than to provide five starving people with high-quality meals.

Preparing regular high-quality meals takes longer and is more expensive. There would never be enough high-quality meals (or even average ones). Due to this, feeding programs often have to choose quantity over quality.

Even in a home setting, quantity reigns over quality.

If a family can’t afford to buy enough food for their children, it’s better to feed them something filling and cheap like oatmeal or noodles than one healthy balanced meal per day.

The idea is that the children will eat every day with this approach versus only once or twice a week on the other plan.

#5. Studying for an Exam

If you’re a student and need to study for an exam, it’s best to start studying early.

Rather than having one high-quality 10-hour reading session where you go through all the semester’s notes, you can have average studying sessions over one month. With such a studying program, it becomes easier to pass exams.

And that’s not all. For practical exams, it helps to take as many mini practice exams beforehand instead of having one major mock exam.

These many mini exams help strengthen neural patterns in your brain and help to boost your confidence, which translates to better performance when the exam comes.

#6. Infrastructure

When stuck in traffic, what do you wish for? Personally, I wish there were more roads to my destination.

For people in developing countries, having more smaller dispensaries and clinics close to their home is better than having one large well-equipped hospital located far from their home.

When it comes to infrastructure, more means a higher number of people are served.

More roads to a destination mean more people can arrive at their desired location even if the roads are in poor condition or not well-equipped with resources like gas stations and rest stops.

It’s better for people in developing countries to have many smaller dispensaries. With this, they don’t need to travel halfway across the country just for basic medical attention when it would be easier for them to get simple treatment closer to home.

#7. When Learning a Skill

Ever heard of the 10,000-hour rule? According to this rule, it takes about ten thousand hours of practice to become really good at something.

If you’re looking to become an expert at anything, you’ll need to practice every day. The more you practice, the more you gain experience and become better.

With constant practice, you’re able to experiment more, make mistakes, learn from them, and learn new things along the way.

When it comes to learning a new skill, quantity not only reigns over quality, it helps to reinforce quality.

If you’re thinking of learning a new skill, you can check out our article on high-income skills to learn more.

#8. War

In war, numbers are essential

If the enemy outnumbers you, it’s impossible to win a battle if your army only has one soldier for every five enemies. Armies will often have forces of at least double their opponents’. If they don’t outnumber them enough, they’ll likely lose.

However, quantity doesn’t always win over quality.

In some instances, quality triumphs over quantity in matters of war. If an army has the numbers but a poor strategy, they are likely to lose to an army with fewer people but a well-laid-out strategy.

Knowing that quality and quantity are both important in battles is essential for the success of any general.

In social media, quantity is essential

Social media marketing boils down to the amount of content you post. You can’t be successful if your profile only has one or two posts every month because nobody will see them.

A good strategy would include posting at least three times per day with unique and engaging content.

This may seem like a lot, but it’ll reap more benefits in return than what you put into it!

However, quantity does not always win over quality when it comes to social media posts.

If there are too many updates without any substance, people will eventually tune out and stop following your company altogether.

It’s crucial to maintain a balance between quantity and quality.

#10. Buying in Bulk

Another example of quantity over quality is when trying to save money.

If you’re looking to save money on groceries, buying in bulk is the way to go. Buying a large quantity of one item will often be cheaper than purchasing many small amounts of a fresh version. You get more bang for your buck by buying things in bulk.

Buying in bulk also saves you time.

The only downside to buying in bulk is that once an item goes bad, the other items may too, so check expiration dates before making this purchase decision.

#11. Manual Work

When working on a manual task, the more hands involved, the better.

If two people are working on a task, they will complete the job twice as fast as one person.

While it’s true that quality might decrease with quantity when doing manual work (i.e., less production and more mistakes), having an unlimited number of hands available for specific jobs helps reduce the risk of making mistakes.

Having more hands-on deck also helps less experienced people learn. If someone has never done something before or needs some help along the way, having three other pairs of helping hands can be very beneficial in completing a project.

Having many hands-on deck also helps with tasks like cooking. Multiple sets of hands can cut down on time spent preparing food while simultaneously increasing output. Just ask any mother!

In short: If you’re trying to get things accomplished quickly within set constraints, quantity will always triumph over quality.

#12. When Innovating

All through his career, Thomas Edison made over 10,000 mistakes. However, from these mistakes, he came up with some of the most valuable inventions of the 19th and early 20th centuries.

If you’re looking to come up with something new, don’t wait until it’s perfect. Work on several prototypes until you find out which works best. Quantity will always triumph over quality.

The same goes for when you’re thinking of setting up a new business. Don’t wait until everything is perfect. Experiment with different approaches until you find the one that works best for you.

#13. Spending Time with Your Kids

If you’re looking to be there for your kids and family, the quantity of time you spend with them will always win over quality.

Spending six months away from your family and only spending two weeks with them isn’t as fulfilling as being there for every moment and memory. Even if you do nothing special, just spending more time will be more fulfilling than only spending time with them while on holiday.

Quality is still important.

In some instances, quality always triumphs over quantity. Here are some examples where you should choose quality over quantity.

When Picking Friends

It’s better to have a few high-quality and reliable friends than having tons of friends who wouldn’t help you during your darkest hours.

Content Marketing

In content marketing, it’s better to have a few high-quality pieces than tons of generic articles. This is because high-quality content is likely to attract more shares and engagement than generic content.

When Choosing Clothes

When shopping for clothes, what do you go for? A cheaper version that you’ll have to replace after several wears or a high-quality fabric that’s likely to last?

Like most people, you’d probably go for the high-quality fabric as opposed to many low-quality clothes.

Fitness

If you’re trying to get fit, it’s better to have a few high-quality exercises that will burn tons of calories and build muscle than many low-intensity workouts.

Any Further Questions?

There you go.

Thirteen examples of quantity over quality. I hope this article helped to enlighten you that quality isn’t always better.

For some instances, quantity reigns over quality.

Do you know of other instances where quantity wins? Tell us in the comment section below.

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