Why do we insist on making life complicated?

Ever wonder why we prefer complicated to simple?

Crazy, isn’t it that given the option of simple or complex, we pick the more complicated option. If it’s too simple, we believe it’ll never work, and we end up favoring the complex. We give undue credence to complex concepts versus simple ones.

I have seen this in action over the years in my money counseling practice as I’ve counseled individuals, couples, and business owners in simple ways to tidy up and manage their money. I have helped thousands of people unpack and make simple how they manage their funds. Yet, as soon as it becomes simpler, never fail; they find a way to make it complicated.
 
Unfortunately, many professions have fed into our belief that money must be complicated. As a result, they’ve led us to believe that managing our money is complicated when, in fact, basic money management is quite simple. 

Why do we do this? Why do we prefer complicated to simple? One of the primary reasons is Complexity Bias. It is “our tendency to look at something easy to understand, or look at it when we are in a state of confusion, and view it as having many parts that are difficult to understand.” (fs blog, Complexity Bias: Why We Prefer Complicated to Simple)

Complexity Bias in Action. A couple came to me for money counseling. They had received unexpected funds, which they used to pay off all credit card debt. The financial advisor, who referred them to me, was concerned they might spend the rest of the funds versus investing. The goal was to stay credit card and debt-free and save some funds.

I taught them a money management system that brings clarity, ease, and simplicity to their money life. I use this approach in my money life, so I know it works.

However, just as they started to experience ease and simplicity in their money life, complexity bias reared its head. They went from a straightforward tracking approach with few spending categories to many categories. Then they began to use monies designated for bills for discretionary and daily spending. And, as I expected would occur, they began to use credit once again.

In the twenty-five years, I have been counseling on money matters, this occurs to almost every client I have counseled. It usually happens just as the initial motivation begins to wane. At that moment, the steps they’d taken seemed too simple to solve what they perceived as their unsolvable issue – Even though the problem was well on its way to being resolved.

Complexity bias doesn’t just happen in financial matters. It occurs in clutter clearing, diet and weight management, exercise, business matters, time management, and other areas of our lives. For example, sleep issues. “A person who feels tired all the time might insist that their doctor check their iron levels while ignoring the fact that they are unambiguously sleep deprived.” (fs blog)

I have often seen this bias flare up with clutter clearing – an area I work with clients to resolve since it does impact their money life.

A client came to me just for this purpose, to clear a vast area of clutter and excess. She was committed to clearing it out and only keeping that which was needed and necessary. It went well for several sessions. She was taking simple steps on what to keep or not and what to focus on next. She was motivated and got many things cleared out.

But then, you guessed it; complexity bias stepped in along with other distractions that threw her off track. And, as expected, sessions were canceled or ended, and progress halted.

Granted, many tasks such as clutter clearing and managing our money trigger deep emotions. We attach a lot of meaning to our stuff, and releasing it sets off all sorts of feelings. Just as unpacking and releasing our issues around our money-life flares up emotions we do not expect. 

Those feeling and emotions have been hidden or stuffed. And, as we declutter and tidy up, out they pop. We didn’t realize how much emotion we packed into those untidy areas of our lives.

And so, this brings us back to complexity bias. It is much easier to believe the solutions are too simple rather than deal with the emotions that flare up. But, it does take courage, self-honesty, and trust to keep it simple and breathe through the feelings that come forth.

I, too, had to deal with what feelings came forth when I stepped into a new area to tidy up. The area in my life I wished to tidy up and improve was fixing healthy food. And, yes, I had convinced myself I hated cooking and often made it more complicated than it needed to be.  

However, as my metaphysician counselor said to me, “Get comfortable with the uncomfortable and just keep going!” Which meant I needed to make it simple and find ways to bring joy to the kitchen.

Could it be time for you to get comfortable with the uncomfortable and to stop making things so complicated?