Simple is good - or is it?

Nature's perfect
complexity, seemingly
so simple...

Following on from the P.S. in my previous post on 21 March 2012 ("Interlude: Ode to pen and paper"), below is what I came across when googling "simple is good":

"Why do we assume that simple is good? Because with physical products, we have to feel we can dominate them. As you bring order to complexity, you find a way to make the product defer to you. Simplicity isn’t just a visual style. It’s not just minimalism or the absence of clutter. It involves digging through the depth of the complexity. To be truly simple, you have to go really deep. For example, to have no screws on something, you can end up having a product that is so convoluted and so complex. The better way is to go deeper with the simplicity, to understand everything about it and how it’s manufactured. You have to deeply understand the essence of a product in order to be able to get rid of the parts that are not essential." 

Source: A person named John Ive quoting Steve Jobs on Minimalmac.com, http://minimalmac.com/post/15549379076/why-do-we-assume-that-simple-is-good-because-with (accessed 21/03/2012)

This statement is intriguing to me as it makes me slightly uncomfortable and at the same time I find it very profound. 

"Why do we assume that simple is good? Because with physical products, we have to feel we can dominate them. As you bring order to complexity, you find a way to make the product defer to you." 

Yes, without a doubt we want to control the products we produce and we want them to be straightforward (i.e. simple) to control, especially IT equipment like a Mac. Where would we be at if we couldn't? Maybe in a world like in the movies iRobot or Tron... . Very few, if any of us, would want that.

However, at a broader level, I think Jobs (like all of us, including myself!) has been a little careless with the meaning of 'good' in the expression 'simple is good'. We should ask ourselves whether dominating something, in this case 'making something simple', truly is a 'good' thing. 'Good' in what way? Convenient and easy perhaps, but 'good' in an ethical sense or from the point of view of happiness? 

• Why simple = not good: 

What makes me uncomfortable about this statement is that it highlights how our desire to dominate physical products extends to our environment more generally, including other people and nature. This desire is rooted in a dualistic, imperialistic view of the world, which does not always (or dare I say ever) work to our advantage: 'us versus them', 'dominator versus dominated', 'conqueror versus conquered', 'usurper versus usurped', 'opposites versus complements' ... 'humans versus the environment'. Now tell me, where is the joy and celebration of life in those words and situations? Perhaps we are ignoring the mystery that is the vital complexity in our lives and we are thereby oversimplifying some things ... .

How does a world of myriads of complex, mysteriously interwoven possibilities sound to you? Does it instill a sense of awe and even - if you dare to admit it - a spark of excitement in you? It does in me! I think that we as humans make up this world of possibilities and connections. We are all interwoven with nature and this entire world - to an extent that is too complex for us to grasp, or in other words, to simplify.  

"We are all made of stardust" - magical, isn't it? 

By the way, if you are interested in reading more about us and stardust, see http://www.physicscentral.com/explore/poster-stardust.cfm for a starting point.

• Why, on the other hand, simple = good: 

"Simplicity [...] involves digging through the depth of the complexity. To be truly simple, you have to go really deep. [...] You have to deeply understand the essence of a product in order to be able to get rid of the parts that are not essential." 

Wow, this is a powerful statement. All I can say is: Imagine applying this to yourself as a person! SIMPLY replace the words "a product" with "yourself"... I will say no more, except this:

• Conclusion: 

Simple is truly good, when it uncovers the essence and joy in/of life, and rids us of our clutter. 

BUT, oh humanity, beware of oversimplifying! Oversimplify at your own peril...