The Secret to My Happiness? Low Standards

Looking for your 5/10 restaurant recommendations.

There’s a common phrase people throw around in life advice circles about "raising your standards," as if the secret to better relationships, better food, better careers, better everything, lies in reaching for perfection. And sure, for some, it might. But for me? The secret to my happiness has always been the exact opposite.

It all started about ten years ago when a friend casually mentioned to me that I seemed so happy all the time. (Flattering, right?) But then they added, “It’s probably because you have really low standards.” And honestly I couldn’t argue. At first, it almost sounded like an insult. I mean, low standards carry a lot of baggage. Society tells us "low standards" are tied to poor taste, risky decisions, or settling for less. But for me, my low standards have unlocked my ability to find joy in almost everything. Remember my post about Margaritaville?

5/10 burritos and other delights

I love a 5 out of 10 experience. Give me a middle-of-the-road burrito, slathered in queso, with enough rice and beans on the side to last me three meals, and I’ll happily declare it a masterpiece! Is the guacamole weirdly sweet for no reason? Even better. I’ll laugh about it halfway through and probably come back next week.

When I travel, I don’t ask for recommendations for the best-rated restaurants. No, I ask people where the nearest 5/10 Mexican spot is, because to me, what may objectively be a 5/10 to society is often my personal 10/10. I'm happy with Michelin star and James Beard Award-winning food, but I just as much love a cheesy enchilada at a place my design-loving friends might roll their eyes at. And I don’t care! I’m not just eating, I’m enjoying! I’m celebrating the ridiculousness of it all, from margaritas that taste like apple juice (how!?) to meals that are wonderfully, lovably mediocre.

The joy of loving objectively "bad" things

When you aren’t constantly searching for “the best” of everything, you get to love so much more. Bad-on-purpose things, bad-on-accident things, things that others might cringe at, I love them all. Why? Because I’ve allowed myself to!

Think about it. If you can intentionally (for the bit) wait too long to say "when" when you're getting fresh parm grated on your pasta, or find delight in a movie with a 26 on Rotten Tomatoes, or if you can love the big giant pants that the sales associate said "...are maybe for someone with a different body type than yours.", you open yourself up to a life packed with joy. Sure, I have standards in the areas that matter most, for how people treat me, the businesses I support, and the people I fill my time with. But in everything else? What’s the harm in letting go and enjoying?!

Okay but if it's causing harm tho

Now yes, I should add that having low standards doesn’t mean throwing away my values. If something is causing harm to me, to others, to the world around me, it’s time to step back and reevaluate. I don’t love a burrito that funds human rights violations or has glass shards inside of it, and sugar and cholesterol? Those call for moderation. But generally, a 5/10 meal is harmless (even if it occasionally comes with sweet (why!) guacamole).

Choosing joy (because it's hell out there)

This whole “low standards” approach is less about compromise and more about choosing joy. You start to see opportunities for joy in the places others might glance over or scoff at. Do I sometimes want a really high-quality popular option "good" margarita? Absolutely. But there are also moments when I’ll happily sip a sugar-laden drink that tastes vaguely like an apple Jolly Rancher, because in that moment, in that place, it’s perfect.

When you decide not to overthink or over-analyze every experience, you get a lot more freedom to just…enjoy. Bad food becomes great food because you’re laughing. Mediocre movies become incredible because you’re having fun.

What's your 5/10 burrito?

Now it’s your turn! What’s your version of a 5/10 burrito? Is it a rom-com with a 14% Rotten Tomatoes score that you love? A restaurant you frequent even though the influencers hate it? An album that only you and three other people on Earth seem to listen to? Share it in the comments! I want to know about the joy you find in the wonderfully average, the delightfully “meh,” the things other people might call bad. Because if it makes you happy, guess what? It’s not bad at all!

I’ll see you in the comments. Bring your low-standards joy! I can’t wait!