Over-complicated

Well, it didn't take long for a stuff up. I was keen to create a list of rules for people to customize to suit their level of commitment for the varying categories. Al off a sudden the list became long and over-complicated. Now I need to sit down, think about the slow and simple philosophy and go again. I'm guessing that I'm not the only person who over thinks and over complicates things. Perhaps I can learn from this.

So why do we make things so hard on ourselves? There have been a number of peer reviewed studies which show that we prefer complexity over simplicity. There are a few reasons for this. Complexity in language may make us sounds smarter, like when we use jargon and long words. Sometimes cultural specific jargon can give us social acceptance into a group. But in terms of creating complex solutions for our simple problems, well I think it's a little to do with shame.

You may have a problem with being overweight. I know that I have a few kilos to get rid of. I've been a sucker and convinced myself to buy weight loss powder formulas, pills etc. But at the end of the day you just got to eat less, eat less shit and move your ass. So how does shame play a role in our want to over-complicate? Well, think about how you would feel if you were told that the reason for your conditions is that you consume too many trans fats. These are a specific type of fat and some fats are indeed good for you! but trans fats are the bad ones and they aren't always clearly labelled on the foods you eat. Even good fats can become trans fats when cooked at too high a temperature! But how hot is Trans hot? The same can be said for alcohol sugars. These sugars which operate as a regular sugar when in the body, but the food standards bodies do not recognise it as a simple sugar and therefore these types of sugars end up not being labelled. That's why protein bars, which SHOULD be good for you actually contain sugar despite not being labelled on the pack. The result is that you consume too much sugar without your knowing it.

The simple response is this, you eat too much shit.

You see, I think that complexity gives us an excuse for getting it wrong.

How could I have known this right? There are so many different variables at play. I'm not a dietician.

There are so many simple facts which we seem to ignore as solutions to our problems. I think that there aren't many situations where we can honestly attribute mistakes due to a lack of clear and understandable information.

For me and my absurd list of rules I was too concerned with peoples level of discipline in adhering to some rules which I perceived as too difficult. I ignored the purpose of my experiment at the simple life. I failed to start with the philosophy of slow and simple in mind and for that I wasted a lot of time and effort. But the lessons here are more important than the time lost.

So look out for a simpler version of the rules I laid out earlier. I hope this post has made you think about how self created complexity is holding you back from living a more fulfilling life.

Go Slow, Be Simple.

Sean