Simple =/= Easy
The misconception that trivializes processes
A Personal Anecdote
I returned to my Junior College one fine Teacher’s Day to visit my ex-teachers. It was a fun day of catching up with them, catching up on how developments have been post-graduation. Seeing my General Paper (GP) tutor, I entered the class, warmly received, and was asked a simple question.
Tutor: How do you write a good GP essay to get an A?
Me (To Class): By writing coherently in a structured manner.
Student (Loudly): That’s so simple, I’m already doing that!
Me: (To Him): So you’re already getting your A?
Student: (Silence)
I assumed that since he so confidently mentioned proclaimed the declaration that it was simple and that he was ‘already doing that’, he would already be getting an ‘A’ in the subject. But no, he wasn't, or rather he assumed that just because something sounded simple, it would be easy to execute to great effect.
How many of you have had similar experiences? Thinking that something sounded simple at first before realizing that it was difficult in its own right? I feel that this is an important distinction that we must make clear if we are to progress in executing simple plans.
The Misconception
Simple is not always easy. It is important to differentiate between these two words to provide us the mental space to handle simple but difficult tasks.
It may appear as an oxymoron at first for something to be both simple and difficult. By breaking the two down, it is clear that there is indeed a contrast between these two ideas. For context, I provide the definitions below from the Merriam-Webster dictionary to illustrate my point.
Easy: Achieved without great effort; presenting few difficulties
As the definition states, something that is easy is done without substantive effort. It implies that there was little to no resistance to the action. For example, for most of us, reciting the alphabet is an easy task that has been ingrained into our memories since early childhood. An easy task is hence something that is done without difficulty or major impediment.
Simple: Plain, basic, or uncomplicated in form, nature, or design; without much decoration or ornamentation
Simple, on the other hand, denotes a lack of complication or a sense of being plain. It is not concerned with the level of difficulty of a task but rather with its aesthetic and design. A familiar example (and one I struggle with) for most is braiding hair, it is simple in instruction but (at least for me) is a task that is not easy. Simplicity, therefore, revolves around design rather than with the level of exertion or effort required to accomplish a task.
Disclaimer: Simplicity and ease are subjective concepts that are different depending on the individual. I understand that the same task or process may appear simple and/or easy to one individual but not to another. What I wish to posit about is the inherent difference between the two with examples that I hope are able to illustrate my point.
Why It's Important To Distinguish The Two
While it may appear to be a trivial matter, distinguishing between the two ideas would help us better prepare ourselves mentally for different tasks.
Approaching a task as easy puts us into the mindset that this can be accomplished with little effort. Imagine then if we frame it as simple (with the idea that it will be easy) and then come to realize just how difficult it is in reality. The double whammy of misjudging the difficulty of the task and the potential perception of our ineptitude would hit us hard, leaving us feeling demoralized over a simple (but inherently difficult) task.
By acknowledging simplicity and difficulty as two separate dimensions, we set ourselves to be better prepared to adjust our levels of effort to carry out the task as desired.
Moving Forward
With this knowledge in hand, we need to start practicing the ability to discern between these two ideas in real life. In doing so, we set ourselves to be better prepare for and adapt to the tasks entrusted to us with regards to the level of effort and other resources needed to accomplish them. This would steer us away from possible detriments that a misjudgment of the task may bring us while mitigating complicating factors down the line.
A simple task may not be easy, and an easy task may not be simple, but with practice, we can make tasks simply easy.