Hello Complexity

Humans are imperfect and fallible, but that can be said of evolution and genetic mutation

Among the things one learns over decades is that complexity is far more common than may be obvious. Although common sense should eventually tell us that simplicity is the exception, I see examples of complexity going unrecognized even though these seem unmistakable to me. I attribute this awareness to the manner in which I view the world, a short description of which can be found in the upper right-hand corner of this blog.

There are many variations of complexity that go unnoticed, but my favorite example of complexity being unrecognized in plain sight is common in ethicist columns (found in the print and digital editions of some newspapers). Even though the ethicist is likely to refer directly to the complexity of the issues submitted for his/her opinion, the responses of readers are often surprisingly simplistic despite what seems obviously far from simple in the topics they are commenting on. Much too absolutist, as if complexity can simply be disregarded.

Despite being a history major, my favorite classes were logic and ethics. Complexity is fundamental to these kinds of classes, challenging students with a range of possibilities depending on which circumstances and variables are added to or subtracted from examples. Rationality meets emotionality, and typically in the end the former has more influence. Because these are case studies, one is often most happy about not having to actually make these kinds of choices in real life. But the lessons of complexity and thus challenging choices are learned.

Those who have black and white views of right and wrong, good and bad can experience frustration when confronted with complexity. Attempts to push aside complications to simplify choices and values are met with objections from those with more pragmatic approaches. This process simultaneously reveals the value of pragmatism and the limitations of simplification. Not that this makes it any easier when the suppositions involve decisions and actions that are life and death choices. But the process is more open and one knows that all likely combinations have been considered.

That last one, of course, is the problem for simplifiers. Their fear is that values will be compromised for reasons that are convenient, open to manipulation, create possibilities that shouldn’t be available. Life is simpler and predictable and safer when there are rules. So dancing, sex education, drinking, contraception are problems, along with assisted suicide for the terminally ill and abortion. The message is that humans cannot be relied upon to make the correct choices when there are options…and complexity.

If you’ve been reading my posts for any length of time, you know I have no place for this kind of dictatorial approach to life and life’s realities. Yes, sometimes poor choices and thus unwanted (and unforeseen) consequences confront us, but our responses shouldn’t be to fall back onto thou shalt not and thou shalt. Humans are imperfect and fallible, but that can be said of evolution and genetic mutation. Simplification is often an attempt to exert control over what is the inherent randomness of reality, but it’s an illusion (or delusion) doomed to failure while creating human unhappiness and misery for no compelling reason.

Rational people accept that complexity is the natural state of existence, human and otherwise. Randomness happens and we cope with it because despite pretenses of options in place of random reality, there really aren’t any. No amount of black and white beliefs, praying or whatever passes for doing something has the slightest effect on this. Rejecting complexity is a fool’s response. It changes nothing while attempting to force others to believe what the believer insists is reality. It isn’t.

Embrace complexity. You may not comprehend all of its aspects or even much of it, but it’s the pragmatic reality. I continue to find that the 1960s exhortation to live and let live remains a wise and insightful approach to reality. A society of peaceful coexistence, with all the complications that makes inevitable, will be far more successful in the long run than the inane efforts to simplify everything into lots of rules that defy pragmatic reality.