Simplism

Sim•plism: noun, rare; the oversimplification of an issue.

In my endless search to try to figure out who I am, what I'm doing here, and what I'm supposed to accomplish in life, I have determined that one of the major roadblocks in my search is the fact that I operate and have always operated on the principle of simplism. Life should be simple—one, two, three, four; a, b, c, d. If I assume/expect something to be logical and easy, it should be logical and easy. If I put my keys down somewhere, I shouldn't have to remember where I put them because I knew where I put them when I put them there, so I should be able to just pick them up again when I need them. It never, ever occurs to me when I set them down that I almost definitely will not remember where I put them—because such a thought is incomprehensible at the moment I put them down. Thinking about things that should not require thinking about is complicated. I do not like complicated—and “complicated” most definitely does not like me.

To me, logic and simplism are synonymous. My beliefs, attitudes, and opinions are based entirely on them. How can one refute logic? (And having so said, I do realize that the flaw in that argument lies in the fact that what is logical to me is often not logical to others, and vice-versa.)

I honestly cannot comprehend why things that should be simple are not. I've often said that I sincerely believe my emotional development stalled somewhere in early childhood. My insistence on thinking, acting, and reacting simplistically is undoubtedly a result, and it has been and continues to be the bane of my existence.

Simplicity. How can anything be simpler than the precept of “Do unto others as you would have done unto you” as an elemental a guide to human behavior? So why, then, don't people treat each other the way they themselves want to be treated? I honesty and sincerely to the depth of my soul cannot comprehend why they don't, can't, or won't.

Politics? Religion? Diversity in individual beliefs is understandable, since all humans are different. But bigotry? Baseless hatred? How can supposedly and otherwise intelligent human beings form and hold to such irrationality, such total lack of the most elementary logic?

I have always suffered from low self esteem and an underlying sense of inferiority, and I think this, too, can be traced to my insistence on adhering to the principle of simplism. Comparing ourselves to others is a universal human trait...it's the compass we use to determine where we stand among others. I constantly look at others and, for the most part, am awed by the relative simplicity of their lives, and how smoothly they move through them. Other people are graceful, at ease among others in social situations, blend in well in any gathering, cheer at concerts, dance, and clearly express their enthusiasms. I am/can do none of these things. By comparison I, in my simplism view, am clumsy and awkward and inept, which only fuels my feelings of inadequacy and self loathing.

Oddly, though I fully realize that the world is not all black and white, the most simplistic colors, I do believe strongly in the concepts of right and wrong, and I don't judge others on where they stand on the spectrum between. I can and do speak only for myself and the core of my own being.

I've come to the conclusion, on looking over what I've just written, that simplism is a complex subject replete with unanswered and unanswerable questions. But it is to the credit of human beings that we never hesitate to ask those questions.

Now, where did I put my keys?

Dorien's blogs are posted by 10 a.m. Central time every Monday and Thursday. Please take a moment to visit his website (http://www.doriengrey.com) and, if you enjoy these blogs, you might want to check out Short Circuits: a Life in Blogs (http://bit.ly/m8CSO1), which is also available as an audiobook (http://www.audible.com/pd/ref=sr_1_1?asin=B00DJAJYCS&qid=1372629062&sr=1-1).