What is simplism?
Simplism is the tendency to see things simpler than they are in themselves. It can be voluntary or involuntary, although it is usually of the latter kind.
The simplist proceeds to see only what is common to the objects or representations and sometimes even what is of interest only to his particular point of view. As a result of this intellectual illusion, he ceases to perceive important notes in reality that would give him a different and in any case integral vision of things. Simplism explains psychologically the origin of the sophisms called a dicto sucundum quid ad dictum simpliciter. Source: Wikipedia.
It is the old dilemma between the sea and the bottle
The simple life will always be relevant. The danger is to confuse simplism with simplicity, an old but still effective trap. Have you noticed that the vast majority of people put off indefinitely the most important projects in their lives? Yes, we all have the best excuses for postponing the achievements that lead to the changes necessary for a fulfilling life. Meanwhile, we live our lives giving priority to the less important things and, worst of all, complaining about the meaninglessness of life.
We deceive ourselves with excuses such as "when my children are out of school, when I am retired, when I have saved good money, when I finish this job, etc.," among other arguments, I will realize my dreams. The change of city is just another excuse. There are big differences in quality of life between cities. But to think that this is the decisive factor in achieving the great projects you have always dreamed of is to run out the door of simplicity instead of taking the path of simplicity.
What's wrong with wanting to live in a quiet city?
Absolutely nothing... But don't think that the city you live in is a guarantee of peace and happiness, no matter how peaceful and well managed it is. I often see people come here for a weekend or a short vacation. They like the standard of living here. The tranquility, the good local restaurants, the craft stores, the deserted beaches, the calm flow of time, the feeling that everyone knows everyone else, the fact that almost everything can be done on foot without a car, and much more. Some people move here.
For many of them, the quiet life becomes boring and unbearable after the first few weeks. They miss the big theaters, cinemas, bookstores with a wide range of products, brand-name stores, large shopping malls and food, which is not always easy to find in small cities like this one. Seeing the same faces every day makes them feel uncomfortable and they have the feeling that time passes too slowly. Hell, is what they call this place when they return to their hometowns.
It is necessary to recognize the proximity of the city where we live or want to live. What is good for some is not the best for everyone. However, the most important thing is to understand the excuses we use to deceive ourselves and escape from ourselves.
There are no solutions out there, but they are in you
Among those who move here, the most common desire is the simplistic wish for a shelter in a quiet place, an unconscious, biblical illusion of returning to paradise. They forget one fundamental thing: they have to live with other people. Life requires this as a method of learning. The new and happy innkeepers have to deal with their staff and their difficulties, their guests and all their problems, annoyances and complaints. To think that living in a beautiful city is a guarantee of tranquility is nothing more than a trap due to a superficial vision. The magic is inside, not outside of people.
We are used to looking for secret equations, as if they were shortcuts to understand the visible and invisible world around us. Then we find ourselves trapped in the depths of everything. In our eagerness to filter everything and everyone around us, to summarize life's situations in a few words, to understand the world and the workings of the universe, we strive to put the whole ocean in a bottle at once.
But even in these places, whose survival is not in doubt, we find complete human beings. On the other hand, I see many unhappy people living in cities, which according to science are the best places to live on earth.Unhappiness, moodiness and pessimism will be everywhere, even in paradise, as long as existence is perceived through the lens of simplism. On the other hand, if we look at life from the perspective of simplicity, we regain joy and sweetness.
Simplicity is a virtue similar to humility
The virtue of living without masks or illusions, without mechanisms of evasion or protection of the ego from vanity and pride. It is a profound virtue because it puts the self first. It offers the possibility of true personal change, step by step.
Simplism, on the other hand, refers to our need to absorb the world in one gulp. We want all the understanding in a single dose. All the cards are summarized in short videos. We claim we don't have time for this or that. We pay a fortune for a summary of everything. We look carelessly at others, we look hastily at ourselves. We reduce everything and everyone to fit in a bottle. Therefore, we end up including ourselves in the equation for as little as possible. By reducing life to the minimum, we push ourselves toward the opposite expansion. By limiting consciousness, we reduce the limits of the world.
Life, the world, people and the self. We lose the honey of life by insisting on the bitterness of existence. We impoverish the universe, the part and the whole. We falsify the truth. Unlike simplicity, which broadens and facilitates the journey, simplism hinders and limits its scope. It is always good to live in a pleasant and safe place. But the question is different: will I be pleasant to live with? Am I a safe and reliable person to live with? These are inescapable questions that I can't help but ask. When there's not a drop left in the bottle, the sea is flooded by a storm.
All external actions leading to any of the states of wholeness are complementary to or derived from internal transformations. I can hardly change my relationship with everything and everyone in the same way that I change my relationship with myself. The vision I allow myself to have reflects the world I see and live in. Changing shadows for light; a different perspective, from inside to outside instead of outside to inside, allows me to perceive the world in a different way. Understanding the intangible power that comes from honing virtues as the northernmost part of choice makes the world a good place, a workshop full of opportunities for creativity and personal growth.
Every revolution is an individual transformation
Change from the outside makes a lot of noise, but makes little music. A revolution in life begins when simplicity becomes the rule of footsteps and heartbeats. Living without masks or tricks to reach the depths of the soul, the sacred temple of holiness. This is the totality of all religions and the direction towards a better city.
Only then will we stop insisting on suddenly putting the whole sea into a bottle. Instead, we let the water fill the container, expanding its capacity as the contents fill. The bottle can expand, the sea is infinite. Every day a little more ocean enters the bottle, every day the bottle gets bigger and bigger. The bottle will never be full, the ocean will never run out. The ocean can limit the size of the bottle or the bottle can expand to the size of the ocean.
Love, Johnny.
The answers are always there within. However, we've been always taught to look outside for answers. Looking outside only helps to complicate things.
I love this line, I can testify to that with my life. The day I started adopting simplicity and minimalism my life has changed letting in more light, air and freedom in so many different ways.
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Thank you for this post, it hit a cord ..
I have often told to myself in the past "I dont have time for this, I have to finish task A to do it" .. and this has prevented me from a number of successes or extra experiences that perhaps would have changed my life.
I believe that we should keep simple things, simple and not try to overcomplicate them - but always in accordance to our wants and wishes..
It is not easy to restart, it is not nice to regret - so we have to be clear in our hearts and mind about what we think of.
A friend of mine starts his sentences "Listen, things are simple.."
Most of the times I agree
Thank you for this post and for using my images! It is a big honor for me!
Yo creo que esto que nombras como simplismo, es el mismo hedonismo que impera en la sociedad actual; el querer disfrutar de forma despreocupada todo, sin ir más allá, sólo la satisfacción inmediata y constante de las necesidades, el disfrute del placer y ya; y no es que el disfrutar sea malo, todo lo contrario, es muy bueno, pero el vivir en una eterna búsqueda de satisfacción constante, sin importarnos las implicaciones éticas, morales y sociales, allí reside el problema. La sencillez es hermosa, es lo que yo pienso, no creo que el aturdimiento y exceso de estímulos que puede provocar la estridencia de una vida agitada sea sinónimo de felicidad. Como decía Sartre: "Felicidad no es hacer lo que uno quiere sino querer lo que uno hace", y yo añadiría algo más: Querer el cómo se vive. Un abrazo, hermoso @pavanjr.