Virtue: Simplicity

originally written on 10-10-2023

this is a continuous thread of self-identifying ‘virtues’ that I try to live my life by. Obviously I can only put forth effort to pursue the virtues I say. But the point is that I recognize this as a virtue of the person who I wish to become. I am also saying this to get out in front of things in the future. Ex: When I pose some complicated scheme for something, someone will look at this and say “This doesn’t seem like it should come from a guy that talks about simplicity”- A primary purpose of this exercise is to emphasize that I have much to improve in this realm. I venerate simplicity, not yet, or ever, will wholly embody it. I note this because I am historically guilty of crafting schemes so complicated and unecessary I feel the need to write about how important simplicity is to me. Ironic, this preamble is emblematic of my consistent over-complication

As the late Terry Davis once said: “An idiot admires complexity, A genius admires simplicity”. I do not want to be an idiot. Simple.

The world is growing in complexity - at least for those who watch it closely but yet with wide eyes. And I find it so easy to complicate things in an effort to… prove something? We’ve come to recognize some quality solutions are incredibly complex: germ theory, gravity, etc. and now confound complication with correctness - at least on an abstract general level. Whereas simplicity is seen as naivety, again just to some - maybe just to the truly naive.

No matter, a simple life is a good one. Too simple of an axoim? Too bad.