We often find simplicity attractive. And yet we’re not quite sure why. Simplicity just seems naturally and immediately ‘nice’. This vagueness is understandable, but it means we have a dangerously weak hold on an important element of our satisfaction.
What follows is a short diagnostic of simplicity:
One: Home
MODESTY
CALM
FOCUS
KINDNESS
Two: Food
GOODNESS
REASSURANCE
Three: Leisure
APPRECIATION
TEMPERANCE
SOCIAL CONFIDENCE
Four: Relationships
FIDELITY
CLEAR COMMUNICATION
AUTHENTICITY
Five: Work
GRACE
VICTORY OVER COMPLEXITY
DIRECTNESS
PURPOSE – MISSION
Conclusion
We’re discovering the big meaning of simplicity in our lives. In the past, there were times when no one wanted simplicity. Few people had enough, stimulation was in short supply, dull routine was the norm. Simplicity could look like deprivation, boredom or lack of opportunity. Now it’s so different. We’ve got too much to do, we’re constantly assailed by demands and offers, we’re brought up against too much complexity all the time. We’re realising we positively need simplicity: it’s a guide to a better life.
Simplicity is in short supply. We need a lot more of it.