Three Things You Don’t Want to Simplify
Posted on October 22nd, 2008 in Simple Living
Here’s the truth: some things are better when they’re complex. I truly believe that. So for today, let’s embrace the things in life that can’t (and maybe shouldn’t) be simplified.
I want to hear from you: what are three things in your life that you don’t want to simplify? What do you prefer when it’s complicated?
Here we go:
- Salad. I love to have a million crazy things in my salads.
- Movie and book plots. Come on! Throw me a curveball! (I recently enjoyed the crazy twists of The Kitchen Boy.)
- Fashion. While I tend to wear simple things, I love unexpected mixes and complicated design elements.
For the record, these three things took me a lot longer than any other I’ve done. Not surprising, right?
Now it’s your turn! Drop into the comments and share three things you like when they’re complicated. I can’t wait to read ‘em!
photo credit: visualpanic
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Tags: Three Things
This post has 26 comments
October 22nd, 2008
Hi Sara,
Thanks for another thought provoking three things.
I don’t want to simplify:
1. People. I love how complex and contradictory human beings are.
2. The journey of life. Whilst I like simplifying everyday aspects of my life, I wouldn’t want to simplify my life journey as a whole or the story of my past.
3. Chaos. Knowing exactly which butterfly’s wings caused the latest hurricane would ruin the mystery of the whole chaos theory thing.
Looking forward to everyone else’s three things this week.
David | beplayfuls last blog post..Aspects of Playfulness: Signposts to Grace
October 22nd, 2008
1. Woman: I like that she is so frightfully complex;
2. The Universe: I’d likely die of boredom if the Universe weren’t so mind-boggling in its complexity; and
3. Me: On some level, I like that I’m a complete and utter mystery to myself and others.
Christopher
October 22nd, 2008
Hmm. That’s tough.
I would not want to simplify…
1. My daughter. She is a hoot and surprises us constantly with total unexpectedness!
2. The human body. One of the reasons I love my job is trying to constantly figure out what it is doing and how I can help my clients make it work better.
3. Cooking for guests. Not that I don’t think food can be simple. But I love the process of creating something in the kitchen for guests. It is not something that I would like to cut short or make more simple.
Thanks again (as usual) for making me think…
Cheers,
Adam
Adam Steers last blog post..Your Prasara Body-Flow Yoga At-Home Webinar
October 22nd, 2008
1. The crazy mix of people and culture in the world. It would be so boring if everyone were the same. By extension, the same goes for the fascinating expanse of human history as well.
2. Language and spelling. The way that words are written reveal their roots and grammar is there to aid understanding and elegance. I find arguments to simplify spelling abhorrent as you would lose so much beauty and meaning.
3. The environment and science. We should be striving to maintain complex eco-systems and the immense biodiversity of our planet. We should also be striving to understand how the world works and not dumbing it down because it’s too hard.
PS I’m wondering if anyone is going to say sex?! Tee hee!
Caitlins last blog post..Postcard from Spain
October 22nd, 2008
My three things that need complexity
1) My occasional thoughts – Sometime I love to just walk and just think. This is when every possible ideas will usually comes especially the complex ones. Once I make a conclusion that numbers are actually a big expanding circle. Positive infinity and negative infinity is actually the same. Proof – tangent 90 degrees
(Don’t get me started)
2) My food – I don’t cook, but I imagine over simplified food will look and taste exactly like the ones that I cook.
3) Enjoying good books – I speed read when it comes to blogs or RSS. But a good book.. Never
October 22nd, 2008
I love thought provoking questions. That’s my number one:
1. Good questions that really make me think. I’m not a big fan of chit chat. I like to get down and dirty and really get to know a person.
2. Relationships – I personally like challenging relationships that help push me to a new level. It’s why I married my wife. She isn’t afraid to tell me when I’m wrong.
3. My Career – I’ve enjoyed all the jobs I’ve ever had, but I want them to keep getting harder. I know that it will only make me stronger for when I go out and create my own business.
Thanks for making me start my day with some deep thinking.
Karl Staib – Work Happy Nows last blog post..50/50 Effect
October 22nd, 2008
Good one!
1. Relationships. Simple = boring. Complex = interesting, challenging and rewarding.
2. Reconciliations. As an accountant, there is nothing more satisfying than figuring out what is going on in a complex account.
3. Questions. Just like this one. It makes me stretch my mind in ways I wouldn’t normally. Thanks for getting me thinking!
October 22nd, 2008
1. Food – there are just so many combinations and different flavors, I think I’d die if it was too simple.
2. Stories – books, movies, plays, etc. The twists and turns of fiction are just amazing and always help to stretch the imagination.
3. Personalities – while there are times I’d love for people to be easier to understand, there’s nothing more rewarding than watching someone’s character develop and surprise you.
Erics last blog post..Branding a phenomenon
October 22nd, 2008
1. Food. If you want you could eat Thai today, pasta tommorow and burgers the day after that… It could be accompanied by anything from plain water to fine wine. Would hate to give that up.
2. Music. It would be really boring listening the the same type of music all the time.
3. Ideas. Challenging ourselves and looking for new ways to do things helps us grow. Not forgetting the old ways that work can keep us rooted when things go off course.
October 22nd, 2008
Excellent question… hmmmm.
1. Metal. I love it when it takes unexpected turns, changes keys, changes time signatures, brings you to the depths of hell, then pulls you out and starts soaring through the clouds, then puts you in a foggy mire…
2. The internet. I love that there is always something new and exciting to read about or look at. There are millions of creative people sharing themselves with the world. The internet gives the common person a voice. For example, the way I have voice on your blog right now!
3. The human mind. I love the mystery that humans can create. You never know what someone will do next. We are all crazy I tell ya…
I agree with you when it comes to movie and book plots. Things like The Usual Suspects or Fight Club.
- Jack Rugile
Simple Sapien
Simple Sapiens last blog post..Hidden Addictions Part 1 – What Is A Hidden Addiction?
October 22nd, 2008
1. Problems. I LOVE solving complex problems – in life/work everywhere!
2. Jigsaw puzzles.
3. Recipes for Indian food – the complexity adds to the magic, mystery, fun and taste!
October 22nd, 2008
Well, I gave it some thought, and I honestly don’t know. I would really like everything to be simple, including people, recipes, relationships and possessions. I guess I’m shallow.
Vered – MomGrinds last blog post..Is There Such A Thing As Commenter’s Burnout? Or: Why I Sometimes Close Comments
October 22nd, 2008
Scratching my head here –
1. the weather – even though I would really like to know what the weather is going to be like tomorrow or the next day, I like it that the ‘pros’ (weather forecasters – crystal ball anyone) sometimes can’t even get it right for the next 24 hours!
2. the computer – simplify, take away all the ‘features’ and options available, and getting rid of the beta software (even though it wasn’t marketed that way) would just not make me give it any respect.
3. people – It’s nice to have company here and realize even though simplify is a worthy goal that it’s unbalanced if everything including people is simplified.
October 22nd, 2008
Hi Sara – This is a tough one.
1) My husband – I love his complexities. It’s what makes him who he is.
2) Other people – I love how we’re all different. How boring it would be if we were all the same
3) My thoughts – I love to analyze. If it was simple, my brain would probably die.
Barbara Swaffords last blog post..It’s All About Me – Part Two
October 22nd, 2008
WOW, here is what I came up with!
1. My Children, they embrace each day with new adventurous eyes and I support that and encourage then to continue to develop their individualism.
2. My Wife, she keeps me sharp…
3. My Cooking, I love to just be creative and go with feeling and make a good meal on a whim!
Make it great,
Matt
Matthew Clarks last blog post..Dreading Work, try KFC!
October 22nd, 2008
Nice twist!
1. My authentic self/my interests
2. My work
3. Communal living
Stacey / Create a Balances last blog post..Introducing My Authentic Self
October 23rd, 2008
1. Relationships – It would be boring if everything so so plan, simple and vanilla.
2. Food – I love flavors that pop; unconventional food combinations and creations.
I cant think of a third right now.
carlas last blog post..Its not too late to plan a green Halloween
October 23rd, 2008
I don’t want to simplify:
1. My laundry..It’s much easier to throw my laundry in the dryer, but I want to hang it on the line. Saving money and enjoying the fresh air!
2. My cooking. It’s much easier to use fast food or convience food. Let me cook from scratch. It’s healthier and cheaper.
3. My family. It would be much easier if they all thought, ate, dressed the same. But the diversity in them makes my world awesome and exciting!!!
Thanks for this challenge! I too had to think a bit!!
Debs last blog post..Cold Weather, Crockpots and Chili!
October 23rd, 2008
I find it hard to answer your question first-off. For housework and menial tasks, I definitely want them to be simplified. But other than that, I don’t necessarily want things to be simplified or not simplified. I enjoy some degree of balance: simple yet challenging; challenging yet simple. I’m not sure if I’m explaining my thoughts well.
Evelyn Lims last blog post..Can You Read My Mind?
October 23rd, 2008
1. My exercise routine
2. My circle of friends
3. My library
rummusers last blog post..Indophiles.
October 23rd, 2008
Hi Sara. You’ve turned the tables on this one! What would I like to keep complex? I agree with Simple Sapien and Barbara for my first one.
1. I like the human mind and trying to figure it all out.
2. Movies mysteries and dramas.
3. Cooking… sometimes… when I’m making an Indian dinner from scratch.
Davinas last blog post..25 Words That Connect Us — Frosty Sunrise
October 23rd, 2008
I’ve had so much fun reading these, and I hope you have as well! So many of these (spouse, the human mind, puzzles, ideas) were “Oh yeah! That’s what I should have listed!” moments for me.
This one was seriously hard for me. While I want people to be complex, I want relationships and communication to be simple. While I think I want food to complex and exciting, I essentially have the eating habits of an eight year old.
I hope some folks chime in, since this got my wheels turning!
October 27th, 2008
Things I would keep complex:
1. Cats. Nothing is as mysterious, multidimensional and complex as a cat. Unless it’s living with multiple kitties of various breeds and ages.
2. Software Engineering. I love to figure out the complexities of designing, engineering, deploying and running software systems.
3. The Star Trek Universe. So diverse. So full of ideas, possibilities and hope.
October 27th, 2008
jrandom42: Cats—I seriously would never have thought of that, but love it!
November 4th, 2008
Having a hard time on this one, too. Everything should be as simple as it needs to be, and not more. Order and chaos, simplicity and complexity, being and becoming – veer too far from the middle and things go awry. So maybe I should say that I wouldn’t want the fine balance between simplicity and complexity to be any simpler than what it is. :p
Charlies last blog post..Why GTD Contexts Are More Work Than They’re Worth (For Me)
November 4th, 2008
Ha! I love it! It is quite nice to be able to fluctuate between the two opposites at will, depending on the situation. There are plenty of times, though, when I wish that fine line between simplicity and complexity were a little less fine.
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