The simplicity bias

Everything in life, nature and the Universe is about balance & symmetry (my blogs). I’ve written several blogs on the complexity bias but overlooked a simplicity bias. Nevertheless, my 2020 blog was about humans using (simple) routines to cope with our (complex) decisions. 

Yesterday’s blog concluded that human beliefs are a (simple) tool to cope with the complexities in life. Hence, human stupidity (my blogs) equals human simplicity. Our resources, like energy and time, are limited. Human beliefs are a simple and efficient use of those scarce resources.

We know that we do not know a lot. We use several (simple) methods to fill out the gaps in our knowledge. These methods become clear by using the risk metrics (un)known and (un)knowns:

1. Known knowns represent (factual) Knowledge.
2. Unknown knowns represent human intuition (eg, danger, feelings).
3. Known unknowns represent Beliefs (and opinions), including the 7 Belief systems.
4. Unknown unknowns represent our imagination (eg, dreams, fantasy, Sci-Fi).

Together these represent the four levels of human consciousness (my 2017 blog).

Beliefs represent a major step in the collective development stages in Evolution: Needs (all life-forms), Wants (life-forms using tools), and Beliefs (only humans). Evolution – in and of itself – represents a complexity bias (from no life, to single cell life, to multicellular life, to humans).

In my view, the next step in Evolution is humanoid sapiens. This species would also be a clear example of applying the simplicity bias by using anti-ageing and replaceable body parts (eg, prosthesis), while preserving our unique consciousness.

Without the simplicity bias, the complexity bias would probably result into Chaos. Hence, complexity and simplicity need each other for maintaining a (new) equilibrium (my blogs). Moreover, both (must) also relate to dualism (my blogs), symbiosis (my blogs), and Yin & Yang. 

Some quotes on complexity versus simplicity:

• “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” A quote by Leonardo da Vinci
• “Simplicity is a great virtue but it requires hard work to achieve it and education to appreciate it. And to make matters worse: complexity sells better.” A quote by Edsger Wybe Dijkstra

New Gold Dream (81/82/83/84) – 1982 – by Simple Minds

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Note: all markings (bold, italic, underlining) by LO unless stated otherwise.