Why Do We Make Things So Complicated?

Adventures in Sustainable Living Podcast

Episode 130

Why Do We Make Things So Complicated?

Very few people that I know have simple, slow-paced, uncomplicated lives. Even after most people retire, they go through a period of simply staying busy. It is not until several years into retirement that they give themselves permission to slow down and relax. 

Even in the complex world of today, it is possible to live a simple life. So why is it that humanity defaults to making things complicated. A simpler life is often easier, less expensive, and less stressful. Yet time and time again we reach for complexity. The focus of this episode is not only to examine why we make things so complicated but also to give you ways to keep things simple. And I want to do this because simplicity is actually at the heart of sustainability. 

Welcome back everyone to the Adventures in Sustainable Living podcast. This is your host Patrick and this is episode 130 which is called Why Do We Make Things So Complicated? 

Because I truly believe that simplicity is at the heart of sustainability I am going to have a series of several episodes that focus on simplicity. This is the first episode where I am going to examine why we make things so complicated. In the next episode I am going to discuss how to find more personal freedom. Then finally I am going to discuss the psychology of sustainability. 

To start out this series in this episode I want to present 12 reason why our lives are so complicated and a solution to each one of those challenges. 

Some of my best memories of when I was teaching at the veterinary school in Bolivia are the result of the side trips I would take on my time off. On one such trip I visited a small village that had a very strong European influence which was the result of a concentrated German population. I was traveling with a veterinary technician that was from the United States and we decided to have lunch at a small cafe. 

When we walked in we were immediately taken to an outdoor patio. Just beyond the patio was a fenced in lot that simply looked as if it were overgrown with weeds. After a restaurant staff person took our order she returned to the kitchen area. Shortly thereafter she reappeared, walked past us and out into the field of weeds. After a brief search she picked a small had full of greens and returned to the kitchen. When she served us our meal I ask her about the field. She stated that was their source of fresh herbs and vegetables for the restaurant. And I have to tell you that meal was one of the best I had the whole time I was in Bolivia. 

I truly believe that simplicity is at the heart of sustainability. For example, it does not get any simpler than walking to your backyard garden to pick fresh vegetables and herbs. This is sustainable and has minimal environmental impact. It does not get any simpler than me walking down to the chicken barn to collect eggs. This is sustainable and has minimal environmental impact. In my opinion such things should be a no brainer. But the same could be said for many other things in our lives. 

But why is it that we have to make things so complicated? Life is really pretty simple but whenever humans get involved everything gets complicated. Why is that? 

1) Objectification

The first reason I believe that things are now so complicated is that long ago we started objectifying ourselves, meaning we started to view ourselves as separate from everything else, the trees, the animals, even the very universe. Then we started to question the meaning of our very existence. To compensate for that we resorted to creating “meaning” from the external world. To help drown out the anxieties of our questionable existence we started creating more and more things to consume, throw away, consume more, and just pretend this was a normal part of existence.

Then we needed systems and methods to maintain our existence and lifestyle which means we had to structure everything. But I would argue that at the end of the day, the majority of what we talk about, worry about, create, consume, and focus on is completely unnecessary. And, ironically, I would further argue that the majority of employment that exists these days is simply the result of how we have complicated our lives. We have to do something to maintain all of our systems. 

In the end our objectification and our search for meaning in our lives put an end to a simple, uncomplicated sustainable lifestyle. 

2) The Complexity Bias

The second reason that our lives are so complex is that humans have what is called a complexity bias. What this means is that when we are overwhelmed with information or we are confused about something, we tend to focus on the complexity of the issue rather than look for a simple solution. 

When faced with overwhelming information, we give into our complexity bias by focusing on the difficult 10% and ignoring the easy 90%. 

Solution 

The way to get around this complexity bias is that when you are faced with a problem simply focus on solutions and strategies that are simple. Take a straight forward approach. 

For example, when I was faced with significant expense in order to install solar at the homestead, I questioned whether or not I could do it myself and cut that expense in half. The problem I had is that I knew absolutely nothing about electricity, how to design a solar electric system, much less how to connect all the parts and make it work. It all seemed way to complex and over my head. 

So, I decided to break it all down into simple steps. First I had to learn about solar design, installation, and the basics of electricity. Second, I had to design my system. Thirdly, I needed to work with a solar electric company and order all the parts. Lastly, I had to do the installation. 

So, I took a class on solar design and installation. Then I worked directly with a company on my design and ordered all the parts. After the parts were delivered I had a short moment of panic because I had this enormous pile of parts with absolutely no instructions. So, once again I broke it down into simple steps and made it happen.

3) Humans are Control Freaks

The third reason I think that we complicate so many things is that we are all control freaks. We tend to intensely focus on controlling every single aspect of our lives. The problem is that we now live in a very complex world. Sometimes it is difficult to find answers to even the simple challenges in life. The harder we try to control everything the more we realize that it is impossible to do so and the more stressed we become.

Solution

But the solution to this is to realize that despite all our efforts, life is full of the unexpected. We simply cannot control everything that happens to us. We can only control how we react to it. 

Charles Swindoll once said that “Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react.” 

4) The Human Brain Loves Stimulation

The fourth reason that we complicate things so much is that the human brain loves stimulation. Our brains like to be busy understanding, debating, deciding, arguing, learning, or just whining. It seems that our brains are always working on something. But what this means is that even if something is simple we conclude that it can’t be simple and we make it more complicated because this produces more stimulation. 

It is our hunger for stimulation that at least partially explains our addiction to technology. We want more information faster and modern technology provides that. Consequently, we have seen an explosion of email, text messages, smartphones, tablets, social media platforms, and much more. 

This is yet another reason why we disassociate from people who are directly in front of us. People go out to dinner with a group of friends and completely ignore those that are in front of them because the smartphone is more stimulating.  The result is that we are constantly hyper-stimulated. 

Solution

The solution to this is to go tech free for one day. Put down your phone, turn everything off, don’t check your email, and ignore social media. Instead, spend some time outdoors, take a walk in the woods, rent a small cabin in the mountains for a day, find a place with a total lack of network connections. If you do this I think you will find that it greatly reduces your stress. 

Personally, I find it almost fascinating that so many people are glued to their smartphones and ignore what is going on around them. Every person I work with keeps their phone on themselves at all times. The majority of the time when I am in a public place at least 70% of the people around me are looking at their phones. Just recently as I was driving through a road construction zone half the workers were looking at their phones. Two different times the guys that were supposed to be directing traffic through the work zone were holding a sign in one hand and staring at the phone that was in their other hand. Incredible!

What most people do not know about me is that it has been at least 25 years since I have watched network television. I lived at the cabin for at least 15 years without any cell phone reception. If I take a long road trip, and sometimes this is a thousand miles, I never even listen to music the whole time. This is because I crave peace and quiet instead of constant stimulation. It gives my brain the chance to slow down and relax. Try it sometimes. I think you will find that it greatly reduces your stress.  

5) We Compare and Despair 

Reason number 5 that we complicate things is that we have a tendency to compare and despair. This is often the direct result of so much exposure to social media. We see what other people are doing and accomplishing and we think we should be doing the same thing. Then we reach for numerous other things from the external world in order to keep us happy. We buy more, we consume more, we waste more. 

Solution

The solution to this is to realize that we should never compare ourselves to other people. What others are doing can potentially be a source of motivation. It may gives us ideas of what we would like to do. But, it should never be a source of stress because we feel as if we need to keep up with our friends. Let them be happy for who they are and what they are doing but don’t stress about it because they are driving a Mercedes and you are driving a Toyota. 

I had a rather interesting conversation with a client of mine recently. I saw a client that was likely in his 40s and he was telling me that this was the first dog he had ever had. When I asked him why he decided to get his first dog at his age he said, “Everyone else in the neighborhood had a dog except for us. So we got a dog.” This is yet another example of how we compare ourselves to others in order to define what we should actually be doing in our own lives. 

6) We Seek Constant Validation from Others

The next reason that our lives are so complicated is that we constantly seek validation from others. Far too many people tend to base their happiness on those around them. We worry far too much about how we look, what we have, and what other people think about us. This serves only to make us constantly fret and worry about things that are truly not important. 

Solution

The simple fact is that your life will always be complicated if you hinge your happiness on other people. You will constantly attempt to please others which is ultimately exhausting and detrimental to your mental health. You must always focus on being happy with yourself and do not attempt to depend on others to make that happen. Create a life that feels good to you not one that just looks good to other people. 

7) We Spend Too Much Time with Toxic People

The next reason our lives tend to be so complicated is that we spend far too much time with toxic people. The average person loves drama and conflict.  If you do not believe me then try listening to all of those around you. 

I am the type of person that listens much more than I talk. But I have always been that way. Most of what I hear all day long from those around me is drama, anger, conflict, and negativity. I hear drama from client and hospital staff. Even when I go to the supermarket I often hear small pieces of the conversations from those around me. It is all about drama. Drama with friends, family, neighbors, bosses, spouses, partners, coworkers, and even internal personal drama. I truly cannot understand why so many people have so much drama. It only makes life more frustrating and complicated when you have to deal with constant drama, conflict, and negativity.  It would be so much easier just to focus on solutions instead of complaining. 

Solution

The first thing you have to do is to realize that there are certain types of people that live their life through drama, catastrophe, and emotional upheaval. They choose to respond to life’s challenges in a negative non-productive way. You have to stay away from them. 

The first thing I do when people start talking about drama or causing unnecessary drama is simply walk away. I always feel that if people spent more time on solving their daily problems instead of feeding into them the world would be a much happier place. 

The second thing that I do is that if something or someone in my life is constantly causing drama, they are not in my life for very long. I find these types of people to be toxic, emotionally exhausting, and a hinderance to my happiness. In my opinion it is far better to be alone than to be around people who constantly require you to sacrifice your happiness and self respect. So, get rid of them. 

8) We try to do way too much

The next reason our lives are so complicated is that we try to do way too much. Over committing yourself to various projects, organizations, memberships, social functions, meet ups with friends and family only serves to keep you busy every second of day. At the end of the day you have very little if any time at all to pursue the things that really matter to you. 

Solution

Years ago I placed a strict limit on what I was willing to do for other people and what I was willing to commit myself too. I found myself living only for work. When I would take time off of work it was for the purpose of volunteering my time to teach in another country. I finally decided to say no. 

When you reach that point for yourself you will be confronted with significant resistance from certain people. So be prepared. I actually lost a couple of friends once I decided to stop doing some of the work I had be doing for years. This made me realize that these people were being selfish and I did not need them in my life anyway. These days, when I leave the country it is for fun and not work. 

9) We lose our patience and poise

The next reason we have such complicated lives is that far to easily we lose our patience and poise. We want everything right now if not yesterday and we try every way possible to make it happen. 

I am constantly amazed at how little patience people have these days. People lose their tempers if they have to wait even 10 minutes. All the road rage in our culture is simply because people have absolutely no patience. I deal with clients all the time that became severely annoyed if they have to wait even 5 minutes. 

I love the old saying that adversity doesn’t build character it reveals it. Keep in mind that there are two things that define you every day: your patience when you are struggling and your attitude when you are not. 

Solution

Most of the time it pays to just be nice even when things are not going your way. A few years ago I was on a business trip when hundreds of flights got canceled due to bad weather. So, just like thousands of other people I was stranded in an airport far from home. I was standing in line at the counter where airline representatives were hard at work rebooking flights. Every single person in front of me was angry, frustrated, and taking out their pent up emotions on the airline booking agent. 

Once it was my turn I gave her a big smile and simply ask how she was doing. We engaged in a little small talk and she then asked where I was going. I told her I needed to get to Denver, I would take any flight she could find, and it did not matter if I was stuck in the airport for hours. While she was searching for my flight I continued saying positive things, being very pleasant, and told her  felt bad that everyone was treating her so poorly over something that was not her fault. 

Once she rebooked my flight she handed me my new ticket and boarding pass and said, “You are the first person that has been nice to me all day. Please enjoy your free upgrade to first class.” Once  I boarded the plane, it turned out that the person next to me was the dean of the school of dentistry in Phoenix. He was a very well educated and friendly guy. And that made the flight much more enjoyable. 

Sometimes it pays to be patient and just be nice. You never know, such an attitude just might make your life easier in more ways than one. 

10) We have far more baggage than we need

The next reason our lives are so complicated is that most of us have far more baggage than we need. We have far too many personal possessions, far too much junk and clutter, far too many toys, all of which costs of far too much time and money. Taking care of all of these things just complicates your life even more and distracts you from what really matters. 

I would recommend taking a strong look at everything you have in your life, your personal possessions, your clothes, your house, and even your relationships. If there is something in your life that is not producing value and contributing to your happiness then get rid of it. It is that simple.

11) We lose track of our priorities. 

Reason number 11 that our lives are overly complicated is that we lose track of our priorities. We are so busy and distracted that the things that really matter to us are constantly on the distant horizon. 

Solution

You have to realize that priorities do not get accomplished automatically. You have to make time for what is important to you. Push everything else aside and make time to exercise, make time to learn new things, spend time with friends and family, go on vacation or take a staycation. Always remember that the priorities you set right now are going to determine what your life is like five years from now. 

12) We avoid the tough and necessary conversations. 

Reason number 12 that are lives are so complicated is that we avoid having the tough and necessary conversations. This is unfortunate because a great deal of our success and peace of mind in almost everything we do can be measured by the number of uncomfortable conversations we are willing to have. 

There are a great deal of people that avoid any sort of conflict. People are resistant and even fearful of change. Most people do not like to confront uncertainty and are unwilling to take a risk. Consequently, people will stay in an unhappy employment situation far longer than they should. People will stay in unhealthy relationships far too long because they are afraid to have a difficult conversation. 

Solution

This is something that I have been guilty of several times in my life. I have stayed in a bad employment situation because I was making really good money. I stayed in a bad relationship far too long because breaking it off meant weeks to months of conflict and was going to be financially detrimental. 

These days I have little patience for any situation that causes on-going frustration and emotional upheaval. I am far more confrontative than I used to be. Problems come up and I solve them. If I am unhappy with a hospital that I am working for, and there is no way to change the condition that cause conflict, then I finish my current contract with them and I don’t go back. I also have little tolerance for an unhealthy relationship situation. I tend to focus on any problems and solve them rather than fret and stew on the problem so that it gets even worse. 

Summary

Now there is no doubt that the human mind is complicated. But it may sound counterintuitive, but we should be using our higher intelligence to make our lives more simple. But instead we make things far more complicated than they need to be. And the 12 reasons I have given above and truly just the beginning. But life can be a lot more simple and less confusing if you just focus on simplicity. 

Objectification: Instead of objectifying yourself and thinking you are separate from the plants, trees, and other animals that make up the planet, realize that you are simply a small part of a complex ecosystem. To do so means you will be a lot more respectful of the environment, the waste you produce, and the daily impact that you have. 

Instead of giving into the human complexity bias, look for simple solutions to everyday problems. Simple solutions often mean you are consuming less and producing less waste. 

Instead of trying to control everything in your life, accept the fact that unexpected things are going to happen. We cannot control the entire universe. Woody Allen once said, “If you want to make God laugh, tell him about your plans.” 

Instead of feeling as if you have to know everything right this minute, take a day and disconnect from technology. Instead of wasting time on social media platforms, go outside and spend time in nature. People will always protect what they love and respect. Reconnecting with natures makes you realize that we are dependent on those resources for our very survival. 

Stop comparing yourself to other people and seeking personal validation from them. This only leads to frustration, stress, and the need to purchase more and consume more in order to make a better impression. This of course leads to more waste. 

It is far healthier to get rid of toxic people in your life, be kind and patient at every opportunity, and instead of trying to accomplish 20 things in one day focus on the one or two things that are really important. And by all means, make your life as simply as possible, get rid of excess baggage, focus on your priorities, and don’t be afraid to have some of those difficult conversations. 

There are so many people that I work with everyday that do the exact opposite of what is truly needed to have a simple, sustainable lifestyle. Their lives are so overloaded and complicated I often hear them say that they don’t have time to cook. They don’t have time to plant a garden. They don’t have time to do home canning. Little do they know that doing such things will not only save them a tremendous amount of money but it would greatly reduce their daily impact on the planet. 

If you simply focus on ridding your life of so many complications you will not only be less stressed and much happier, you will also have the time to focus on the things that bring you value instead of frustration.

The easiest way to simply your life is make a list of the top 4 to 5 things that bring you happiness and produce value and then get rid of the rest. Then you will have so much more time to focus on living a happy, sustainable life.  

Well folks, I think that is about it for this week. I truly hope you have enjoyed this episode and it encourages you to get rid of the myriad of complications in your life. 

I just want to close this episode with a quote from Harry Browne who wrote a book called How I Found Freedom in an Unfree World. 

Knowing what brings you joy, and spending time in joyful ways, is the path to freedom. You lose your dependence on the opinions of others and act in accordance to your heart. And that is going to be the focus of the next episode, how to find more personal freedom. 

Until next week, this is your host Patrick signing off. Always remember to live sustainably because this is how we build a better future. 

Patrick

Patrick