A take the size of Wales: why we should stop getting hung up on details

Michael Restin

18/3/2026

Translation: Katherine Martin

This article’s the same length as a pop song. Instead of obsessing over exact details, it’s a tribute to the world of smidgens, handfuls and football pitches – the rough comparisons that give us a sense of freedom.

I love making comparisons. Don’t we all? Once we realise roughly what we want, we suddenly go looking for exactness, delving into the tiniest details. We pour over monitor pixel densities. We weigh up one T-shirt’s recycled cotton percentage against another. We study everything there is to know about OLED, QNED and WLTP. With the now infinitely large range of products, news, and opinions available to us, our obsession with detail gives us back a sense of control.

The thing is, life’s much nicer, simpler and offers a better sense of connection when we stop taking everything so seriously. That goes for both words and product specifications. A realisation that hit me again a few days ago when I set my brand new rucksack down next to a used bin bag for comparison purposes.

I briefly wondered if lumping those two bags together was acceptable. Was I making things too easy for myself? In the end, I was chuffed to get the response below from a reader.

I also enjoyed the user’s follow-up point about the official unit of measurement used by the media being football pitches. Which is true. In a 2018 article, my colleague Luca pointed out that if a 65-inch TV were as big as a football pitch, a single pixel would be the size of a five-franc coin. It’s a prime example of how mental images are both effective and able to outsmart that impulse we have to hone in on details.

This process starts off with the words we use. We’ve become accustomed to using extremely precise, but narrow measurements. Measurements that are becoming harder and harder to grasp, while promising absolute truths – microgrammes, milliwatts, nanometres. We can measure all sorts of things and draw comparisons based on the smallest details. On the one hand, this has created new opportunities. On the other, it often has little to no impact on our day-to-day lives.

Not a positive impact anyway, given that the lowest common denominator’s almost impossible to find. Instead, the tiniest differences are emphasised as if they’re revolutionary. We no longer accept the phrase «equally good». Whenever we can, we sort our world into the categories of «better» or «worse».

With a smidge of luck, the subtle differences in the way we interpret this freedom add flavour to our day-to-day lives. A little more flexibility would save us endless arguments. Even so, we still get drawn into these arguments over the smallest things – even with ourselves. In doing so, we move away from being storytellers and start turning into bean counters.

Wales is about half the size of Switzerland. And eight times the size of Saarland, Germany’s smallest and favourite size reference state (website in German). It’s not like anyone knows what the exact dimensions of Wales, Switzerland or Saarland are. Even so, a rough sense of their sizes is better than a specific figure, because at least everyone in the equation has a vague idea.

This way of thinking can work incredibly well on big-picture issues, but it can also be a good strategy for dealing with the little things. In many situations, having a sense of proportion is better than being overly obsessed with details. This has been a big revelation for me – some might say as big as a football pitch. Football pitches, incidentally, beautifully symbolise the way we lose our sense of proportion when we hone in too closely on details, and stop accepting different points of view.

People who make decisions using their sense of proportion, on the other hand, need to have a feel for situations, knowing that other people might see things differently. And hope they’ll be met with understanding.

So here’s my rough-and-ready suggestion for living well together. Based on the realisation that life’s unpredictable, you should always make up your own mind. However, don’t get too hung up on the details. If you do, take them with a good dose of humour.

But please don’t ask me what the exact dosage should be.

Michael Restin

Senior Editor

Michael.Restin@digitecgalaxus.ch

Simple writer and dad of two who likes to be on the move, wading through everyday family life. Juggling several balls, I'll occasionally drop one. It could be a ball, or a remark. Or both.

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