Excerpt From A Coaching Letter – By David B. Wolf
“What is the distinction between simplicity & simplistic?”
Regarding the distinction between simplicity
and simplistic … I relate it to the difference between childlike and childish. Simplicity and being childlike are sattvic, conscious, full awareness with a sense of wonder and discovery. Simplistic is neglecting to acknowledge and adequately consider the complexities of a situation. The spiritual quality of “simple” recognizes and addresses life’s complexities, without becoming jaded, cynical, or lost and entangled. With simplicity we respond to the complexities of life with freshness and childlike enthusiasm. Enthusiasm is endeavor executed with intelligence. As Oliver Wendel Holmes said, ‘I wouldn’t give a fig for the simplicity on this side of complexity, but I would give my life for the simplicity on the far side of complexity.’