Simply Complex Or Complexly Simple?

I like ironies, a lot. Not just for their humor but from the perspective that they reveal the contradictions in our default mode of thinking.

For example, we crave simplicity yet we're also drawn to complexity. Oftentimes, the logic is that simplicity is bland while complexity has a rich flavor, or so it seems.

The irony here is that the path to simplicity somehow involves embracing the very complexity we wish to avoid.

A whole aspect of our inner nature doesn't prefer being entangled with complexity.

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Perhaps, this comes from having an intuitive knowing of what lies behind this entanglement, which is beneath all the layers of complexity is a simple truth.

The problem lies in how to navigate through this fog of complexity and reach that basic starting point where the source—the fundamental principles or truth(s)—is recognized way before we get sucked into the effects of the source.

Is that even possible? Can we know what a food tastes like without first tasting it, so to speak?

In many ways, simplicity isn't immediately visible. Like trying to see the forest for the trees, the intricate details of daily life, immediate problems, and distractions obscure the big picture.

Besides, there's a cultural bias in certain parts of the world, and we are subconsciously taught that complexity equals sophistication, leading us to overlook and under-appreciate the value in simplicity.

Identify The Source

For the most part, we're constantly reacting to what's in front of us and the present constantly demands our attention with a myriad of urgent and trivial issues.

I must say a good antidote is directly identifying the root cause of any complexity we encounter.

Every complex situation has a simpler origin or cause, and through sourcing the source, we can find solutions or strategies that are less convoluted and more straightforward.

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A good example is in business, market trends will always change or become volatile, but the fundamental need for a product or service remains constant across all cycles.

Long-term thinking requires patience, especially when you understand that not all problems need immediate solutions.

In some cases, allowing time to reveal the natural progression of events can lead to simpler, more effective outcomes without us having to intervene or react impulsively.

In that sense, time can act as a filter, progressively filtering out the noise, revealing to us what really endures and resonates.


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