In a recent podcast with Fritz Gilbert (Retirement All-Stars #1), Fritz and I spoke briefly about using the “Pigs at the Trough” concept to make decisions.
Oxford Languages defines a trough as: A long, narrow open container for animals to eat or drink out of: “a water trough”
For readers unfamiliar with farm animals, troughs are utilized to feed pigs. Feed is poured into the trough and the pigs can then feed. The problem with a trough is that only so many pigs can eat at any given time. The pigs push and force each other away from the trough to gain access to food. New and dominant pigs force their way to the trough and replace the pigs currently eating.
In this example, the trough represents you and me (because I don’t consider either one of us to be a pig.) The pigs represent our thoughts, concepts, ideas, or hobbies. When our “Trough“ is full, the pigs have equal access to food. The only way to make room for a new thought, concept, idea, or hobby ( a new pig at the trough) is to replace an existing one.
The first question would be: why not just build a bigger trough (allocate more brain capacity or storage) to allow for more pigs to feed simultaneously (creating additional thoughts, ideas, concepts, or hobbies) instead of forcing out a current pig to replace it with a new one (keeping the same number of thoughts, concepts, ideas, or hobbies by replacing an existing thought, concept, idea, or hobby with a new one.)
In the real world, this would require both time and money to enlarge an existing trough or to build a larger trough.
Mentally, this would mean allocating more time and effort to store and remember different thoughts, concepts, ideas, or hobbies. This doesn’t seem like it would be incredibly hard to do, so why not just create more thoughts, ideas, concepts, or hobbies (just build the bigger trough?)
To more specifically answer this question I’ll reference the Journal of Applied Animal Behavior Science. In the study titled: “Feeding pigs in troughs: a preliminary study of the distribution of individuals around depleting resources,” the idea of increasing trough size was addressed.
What the study indicated was that pigs’ food intake among all pigs was more consistent with smaller troughs. More pigs gravitated to a larger trough, even if the available food was less than a smaller trough adjacent to the bigger trough. Pigs also fed more slowly when not distributed properly: “Across all trials, food was consumed least rapidly when pigs failed to distribute themselves in direct proportion to initial food availability.”
If these results are extrapolated to consider our minds (the troughs) then feeding more thoughts, concepts, or hobbies (more pigs) may be counterproductive. Each pig ( thought, concept, idea, or hobby) will receive less time and consideration (food.)
In the final analysis, the idea of squeezing out a pig and removing it from the trough (ideas, etc.) to allow a new pig (idea, etc.) to feed seems to be a reasonable approach.
Let’s Consider the “Pigs at the Trough” Idea in Terms of Work, Money, and Purpose:
Work and “Pigs at the Trough.“
The best use example regarding work would be changing jobs, and changing jobs too often. Like the pigs at the trough, each new job squeezes an old job away from the trough.
Historically, the mindset of most workers has been that it is most beneficial to stay at the same job for longer periods.
Is this a good or a bad thing?
The benefit of staying at the same job for a long time is that it is comfortable and predictable. The problem with staying at the same job is that salary and benefit increases tend to become more limited as time passes. Most employers are unable to provide unlimited salary and benefit increases.
All of this changed with the Great Resignation.
What’s the Great Resignation? Wikipedia defines the Great Resignation as: “Employees across multiple sectors realized that they weren’t happy with their jobs during the pandemic. People weren’t satisfied with their work environment, the industry they were in, or their work-life balance and left their jobs. Anthony Klotz coined the term the “Great Resignation.”
More workers currently change jobs and change jobs more frequently.
Research by CareerBuilder in 2021 that Gen Z workers spent two years and three months in a job, while Millennials (25-40 years old) averaged six months more at their jobs. Gen X employees (41-56 years old) averaged five years in the same job, while Baby Boomers (57-75 years old) averaged about eight years per job.
It seems as though the days of working for the same company for one’s whole career may be over.
The ADP Research Institute report for 2023 showed that job changers had more success achieving wage growth. Workers who stayed in their jobs showed gains of 6.9%. However, the median pay growth for workers who changed jobs was 14.2%.
What’s the sweet spot? The consensus is that switching jobs in under one year is too quick. The so-called sweet spot for changing jobs is every 2 to 3 years and even better if there is a 3 to 5-year period between job changes.
Money and “Pigs at the Trough.”
The best financial examples would involve changing advisors, Accounts, asset allocation, and asset location too frequently. Historically, the average individual investor has annual returns below the average return of an unmanaged S&P 500 Index fund because of investor behavior. Individual investors tend to move in and out of stocks based on fear and emotion. Emotion causes most investors to buy stocks and funds when they are high because of the fear of missing out, and then to sell stocks and bonds low at the bottom of a market decline due to the fear of losing everything. With our pigs at the trough example, this would equate to a pig continually moving from trough to trough only to find each new trough almost empty or empty.
This cycle of buying high and selling low hurts terminal returns.
No one should remain with an unproductive advisor. It’s also unproductive to cycle in and out of stocks or mutual funds based on emotional decisions. Many investors change advisors or investment strategies seeking the best results.
I’ve stated in previous blogs that “Perfect is the enemy of good”.
Staying in a fund or strategy that is good usually provides better returns than moving in and out of funds or strategies searching for the perfect return.
Purpose and “Pigs at the Trough.“
Theoretically, this may be the area where the pigs at the trough theory is least applicable.
Retirement should be a time of joy and exploration. This includes trying many different things.
Because retired people are no longer working, they are no longer bound by the time restraints of full-time work. More time available means more time for multiple leisure activities.
Using our pigs at the trough theory would mean that we have a bigger trough to accommodate more pigs without any pigs being pushed out.
It also means that retirees must have the energy and willingness to take on multiple hobbies and projects.
Although, technically, this is true, in reality, most people only have a certain amount of leisure capacity. In reality, most people will try many different leisure activities and eventually discontinue the hobbies or activities that are least desirable. This approach means the pigs at the trough theory remains valid for retired people.
Although it is possible to have many “ purpose” or “passion” projects in retirement, most people find it more desirable to focus on one or two areas and dedicate more time to those limited pursuits. These remaining pursuits (pigs) eventually displace the rest of the less important or less pertinent ideas or pursuits (the other pigs at the trough).
Final Thoughts
I hope you’ve stayed with me through this whole blog. It’s been a somewhat lighthearted approach to the decision-making process. The concept here is not to become overwhelmed with projects or multiple options.
Continually adding projects or hobbies, means that the amount of time and energy spent on anyone’s project or hobby is diluted.
Too many pigs at the trough usually means that some pigs may not be adequately fed.
Limiting projects by subtracting one before adding one allows someone to remain focused and is a better use of time and energy (each pig receives more food and attention.)
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