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To conflate profundity with complexity is common, but what if profound solutions are simple yet have infinite depth?
We are disposed to think novel solutions must be complex, requiring vast intelligence (otherwise we would have already figured it out), while in reality the solution may be hiding in simplicity.
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We rely on method: we expect results and discovery without needing to understand. Simply follow the rules.
In building the “how to” checklist we democratize complex techniques and knowledge, but do not make innovators. We produce very good followers.
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The human mind treats rhymes as more truthful, equating clever with correct. We crave simplicity and elegance in our laws and principles, as if our ability to grasp or recite the law makes it more true.
The paradox is that we only really need to understand a handful of simple, foundational truths well to do well, but these do not imply the world is simply summed up.
examples of elegant or rhyming truths, that are not always true: E = mc2, an apple a day keeps the doctor away
examples of foundational principles: logic, inversion, falsifiability, and non-linear statistics (probability)
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Many mistakes are made because we skip the basics of reality and perception.
Try to stay curious and start off engaging at the most basic level. When you skip forward into your complex biases and preferences, it is all about you, not reality.
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Understanding a simple concept thoroughly is more beneficial than knowing complicated systems.
This concept seems simple, but isn’t. Likely you are already bored.
Example: A simple concept like "leverage" underpins all societies and economics. How about "reciprocity"? What is the difference between "price" and "value"?
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An old watch is complicated, but open it up and you can see the gears and (maybe) figure out how it works. Remove a gear and it no longer functions.
A complex system has many interlocking variables, take one out and something else will replace it, making it a robust, dynamic system. Cascades of unforeseen consequences create change.
