Statements like these drive me crazy:

“Taxes are too high!” 

“Nonprofits are underfunded!”

“We should be spending more on public education.”

It's not that I agree or disagree with the underlying sentiments; it's that these statements are moral opinions dressed up as analysis.

They call back to billionaire tycoon John D. Rockefeller, who, when asked, "How much is enough?" replied, "Just a little bit more."

This pattern is so common in our discourse that I think it deserves a name. I’m suggesting “untethered relative,” mostly because it doubles as a funny thing to call your family members. 

Here’s a definition:

Untethered Relative — a claim that a measurable value should move up or down without specifying the optimal level or considering the trade-offs required to reach it.

I’d like to challenge an untethered relative I hear all the time from folks in and around the nonprofit space.

There are too many nonprofits, and they need to consolidate.

cracks knuckles.

Too many nonprofits relative to WHAT!? 

How many nonprofits SHOULD THERE BE!?

YOU DIDN’T DEFINE THE OPTIMAL STATE!!!

WHY AM I SHOUTING???

I bit off more than I can chew on this topic. The first draft was 6 pages long and remains only 40% finished.

I might have found a new series.

You have one week to talk me out of it.