Embrace Simplicity, Not Stupidity
As much as I’ve embraced simplicity, there’s one place in which being simple equates to settling: accepting the simple answers.
Some questions have simple answers. “Should I get up and do something good today?” That’s an easy answer. Many times, those simple answers are appropriate and will lead you in positive directions.
But the world is not that simple. The world is very, very complex. In a world where people can be counted on to behave irrationally, simple answers are often the dangerous ones. From political advertisements to financial talking heads, being able to differentiate the smart answers from the simply stupid is important to you and your family.
The problem is that simple answers make good sound bytes. They fit into fast-talking, fast-moving discussions. They often sound obvious, like, “Of course! That makes complete sense!” The problem comes when life intervenes, and suddenly that simple answer proves to be empty. Sometimes there are no right answers, and that’s hard to face as well. But there’s nothing wrong with nuance, even if that means that we don’t get the answers we want.
So how can you tell the difference between simple and oversimplified? Stop and ask a few questions, like some of the following:
Are the any holes in the logic here?
What’s the other side of the story?
Are there any facts that would be able to support this idea?
Are those facts being ignored? Misrepresented? Or are they incorporated usefully?
Does the solution deal with only part of the problem?
Is the messenger relying on charisma rather than content?
What is the person’s background? Who would be the best person to speak on the subject?
Is this argument based on fact and philosophy or emotion?
What is the other person’s vested interest here?
What does the opposition have to say?
And finally, does it just seem to good to be true?
Again, this isn’t just about politics, though the timing certainly makes it applicable to that arena. This is able not accepting easy answers just to make life easier. Whether you’re deciding on a new job, schooling, buying a car, or filling up at the gas station, don’t settle for simple. Just this one time… 
Please, toss in your ideas. How can we separate between simple answers and easy answers? How can we know we’re not just settling? Hit up the comments and contribute your thoughts!
photo credit: swanksalot
This post has 21 comments
October 6th, 2008
There’s reminds me of something I heard in my software engineering group. We follow a practice of doing the simplest thing that works. Listening to some industry leaders on this I once heard.
“It’s do the simplest thing, not the STUPIDEST thing!”
I nearly fell off my chair laugh but the point definitely stands.
October 6th, 2008
Interesting topic! It immediately made me reflect on how I explain to people “what I do.” The simple answer is that I’m a “trainer.” But in a way that is over-simplistic to the point of being stupid. On the other hand, it is very easy for me to start explaining what I do to the point of totally losing my interlocutor completely.
I’ve had to work hard to chisel my definition of my professional work down to something that is easily understandable yet conveys the essence of my message. I’ve found one of the most important pieces of the puzzle for me was in coming to understand what part of my message would connect with the person asking the question.
Each individual comes from his or her own worldview and has a different expectation of my answer. By trying to understand where people are coming from and answering from that angle, I find I can remain simple without being too stupid (usually
).
This has the side benefit of making me practice the art of reading and trying to understand people.
Hope that wasn’t too off topic…
Cheers,
Adam
Adams last blog post..Why do you fall off the wellness wagon? (And ideas about how not to…)
October 6th, 2008
The simple, elegant solution which has far reaching implications is a world away from the naive, jingoistic answers to which we are so often subjected. The media springs immediately to mind. I am so sick of the trivial nonsense being spouted over the so called ‘economic crisis.’ Does anyone have anything important (and simple) to say?
October 6th, 2008
I’m still listening and trying to wrap my head around the current financial crisis. It’s now political and further complicated because the politicians are up for election. Everyone’s pointing fingers and everyone’s to blame for various reasons. We’re paying the price for rewarding financial and legal ‘geniuses’ for their obscure, complex masterpieces meant to be anything but transparent and simple. I’m hoping we’ll all learn from this fiasco that has gripped the world (the optimist) and ask the questions you have posted above. Let’s try not to repeat our stupidity but rather embrace simplicity. Thanks for this post Sara.
October 6th, 2008
Sometimes we have to beyond the simple answers and dig into a subject.
I’m not an economist or accountant. But, I know a little more about the current financial crisis that I did two weeks ago(more than I really want to in some cases). The simple answer to what happened is greed. But, that is hardly the whole answer. There were good intentions gone awry. Politics and influence buying played a huge role. It seems like deals were put together that were so complex few if any of the people involved really understood them.
Where do we go from here. Seems to me that going back to basics and simplicity is a good idea. Live within our means, control debt, have money set aside for the bad times, understand what you are getting into when you make a large financial decision.
October 6th, 2008
For me this is where “instinct” and “gut feel” come into play. If something seems tooooo simple, watered down, or sugar coated…then it probably is.
Squawkfoxs last blog post..Recipes: Gross, Easy, and Fun Halloween Foods for Kids
October 6th, 2008
The “too good to be true” test never fails. Like they say, if it seems too good to be true, then it probably is.
Vered - MomGrinds last blog post..Thanking My September Top Commentators
October 6th, 2008
I wandered a bit off topic earlier. Sorry.
Will agree with the other comments. If if feels wrong, back away from it. If you don’t understand it and it can’t be explained so that you can understand, back away from that too.
The questions that you listed are good ones to remember.
October 6th, 2008
It is hard for me to believe anything 100%… whether it be a simple answer or a complex one. Sometimes you just have to trust and hope things work out.
- Jack Rugile
Simple Sapien
Simple Sapiens last blog post..7 Reasons To Turn Off Your TV
October 6th, 2008
Hi Sara. I think on some level when you ask a question, you already know the answer and you are looking for confirmation; simple or complex. In those cases I follow my gut. I agree that there are not always going to be right answers, and an answer might be right one day, but not the next. Wasn’t that a simply complex comment?
Davinas last blog post..Creative Luny Landing In The Sand
October 6th, 2008
At the core of this there seems to be a lack of critical thinking. You bring up central elements of critical thinking when you list the questions we should all ask when we are looking at any question of importance. Ultimately it seems to come down to a question of pride because we need to be intellectually honest when we tackle the tough questions…no matter where it takes us. And sometimes our intellectual honesty takes us to places that we are perhaps culturally unwilling to accept. Perhaps we find ourselves agreeing with a side of the political spectrum that “we aren’t supposed to find agreeable.” Perhaps we see solutions in places where we are predisposed to think they shouldn’t be. It seems too often to be our pride that gets in the way of accepting this just as it is often our pride that can get in the way of our pursuit of simplicity.
October 6th, 2008
And after all that you have said, there are the right answers and there are “right for me” answers …
Hunch, hunch, hunch.
But a bunch of hunches start to develop after a bunch of questioning …asking “why” questions over and over again until we reach the root. And by then, nothing is as simple as it started off, but again, it has been simplified enough to be evaluated.
October 6th, 2008
My approach is to test ideas against experience…not just from my own life but also by reading biographies, history and magazines/books/newspapers about contemporary subjects.
I adopted this approach in the 10th grade when I was looking for a philosophy of life that made sense. I started by reading Plato’s Republic. Sure, most of it was over my head, but I got the gist of it…Plato hated democracy. That completely contradicted all I had been taught, i.e., that democracy was the ideal form of government. It was clear to me that Plato’s arguments would never satisfy me, even if I understood them better(!)…I needed a lot more experience before I could hope to evaluate the different points of view.
Anyway, I majored in physics in college, but two of my true loves were history and biography. They make my view of the world a lot richer, and sometimes less surprising. A knowledge of past speculative fevers made this crisis fairly easy to predict, maybe not the timing, but the fact that the bubble would eventually burst. Especially when The Wall Street Journal was warning that some companies were leveraging their money by as much as 30 times.
Good question! Thanks.
Jean Browman–Cheerful Monks last blog post..What I Learned From Being Tortured By a Dentist
October 6th, 2008
Six Thinking hats is a pretty effective way to checking answers because it uses multiple perspective (facts/figures, emotional view, devil’s advocate, sunny/positive, creativity, and organizing view).
It also helps to know the logic sins called out in Thank You for Arguing (false comparison, bad example, ignorance as proof, tautology, false choice, red herring, and wrong ending).
I’m also a fan of precision questioning and precision answering — using multiple categories of questions for analyze an answer.
J.D. Meiers last blog post..Nature vs Nurture?
October 6th, 2008
Your post is pretty thought-provoking. I’m not quite sure how to answer in what way it is best to strike a balance between simplicity and being too simple minded to the point of stupidity.
But maybe, I’m trying to practice non judgement here about stupidity as well. There may just be no “stupid” things. It’s all about observation and being very aware, for total clarity.
Evelyn Lims last blog post..What Enneagram Profile Type Am I?
October 6th, 2008
Jarrod: Ha! Engineering seems to be the perfect example for this whole argument. There are definitive points where something is its most simple, yet still fully functional.
Adam: Never too off topic! (Well, almost never…) I really enjoyed your take on this. Clear communication is something I really value, and your people-focused approach is a fantastic way to achieve that.
Effortless Abundance: I’m with you. If something sounds like the perfect sound byte, I’m already suspicious. There’s an episode of The West Wing that demonstrated this so well. They were looking for perfect 10-second answers for the presidential debate, and the ultimate conclusion was that even the most perfect 10-second answer was less valuable than an unsatisfying but in-depth one.
Mark W: Anytime someone says, “It’s not my fault,” or, “It’s his/her fault,” we can probably assume that they’re offering a disingenuously simple answer.
David: “The simple answer to what happened is greed. But, that is hardly the whole answer.” I so agree. Greed is an easy answer, but it doesn’t really get us anywhere, and it doesn’t take some of the vital information into account. Perfect example! And no worries about being off-topic. Conversations wander where they will, and I’m up for all of it!
Squawkfox: You have the best way of offering simple comments with real substance. I love it.
Vered: It seems like for every comment you leave, my first thought is “Amen!” Obviously, this is no exception.
Jack: That’s another piece of this: sometimes we can’t know the answers 100 percent. If we think we do, there’s a good chance we’re missing something.
Davina: That’s a really good point. I know I’m guilty of that from time to time. I discard the information I wasn’t looking for instead of trying to fit it in and find the best solution.
Louise: I know what you mean. Marrying a man who has opposing views to mine in many cases has done more to broaden and strengthen my critical thinking skills than anything else I’ve ever done. Good answers can handle questioning.
Maya: “Right for me answers”–that’s a great distinction. After all, few things are universally applicable or black and white. You’ve got a fascinating mind, Maya.
Jean: I really like the idea of coming at something from several disciplines and seeing where the middle ground is. Even if you don’t find the answers, you can get a pretty good idea of where to focus the search.
J.D.: I was blessed to have a teacher back in high school who was passionate about debate and wouldn’t let us get away with those logic sins. Smack me if I ever slip into them here, will you?
Evelyn: Yeah, “stupidity” is a questionable word. I think “willful ignorance” is kind of what I’m aiming for. When someone knows that they’re oversimplifying (or being fed oversimplified answers), but does it anyway just to make life easier–that’s what I’m against.
October 7th, 2008
I think the trick to not have simplistic thinking is to really know what your own personal values are. Then you are less likely to be swayed or sucked in by someone else’s logic. You will have a compass to check things at the door.
Wendi Kelly-Life’s Little Inspirationss last blog post..Bouncing Back
October 7th, 2008
Wendi: So true. And like you said, it’s not about being inflexible, it’s about having a compass to judge things by.
October 8th, 2008
J.D. Meiers last blog post..Help Your Colleagues Look Good
October 9th, 2008
Oftentimes, a simple answer begins as a complex one. After eliminating the unnecessary and the squashing what remains into its purest form, the result is simplicity.
Oversimplification is often the result of a quick-thinking answer from someone who knows not of what he or she speaks.
Just my take.
Jamie Simmermans last blog post..Picking the Brain of Naomi Dunford
October 9th, 2008
Jamie: “Oversimplification is often the result of a quick-thinking answer from someone who knows not of what he or she speaks.” Yes! There’s a difference between gut answers and simply fast answers, and the kernel of truth or meaning at the core (or lack thereof) is usually it.
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