The Simplicity Cycle & Learning

The Simplicity Cycle is a graphical exploration of the relationship between complexity, goodness and time. I developed it to counter the all-too-common assumption that an increase in complexity always means an increase in value.

For a complete tour of the Cycle, check out the brief manifesto I wrote for ChangeThis. One of the applications for this diagram is the learning process, and that's what I'd like to talk about here.

When we approach an unfamiliar discipline, we are in the bottom left quadrant of the chart. Our understanding of the concept (aka goodness) is low, and so is the complexity of our thought. As we begin to add data and learn things, we move up and to the right - in the direction of both increased complexity and increased goodness... but at some point, we have to put the pieces together and change our behavior. Failing to do this leads us to the upper left quadrant, the realm of the complicated. Trust me, you don't want to go there.

To a certain extent, Mediocrity resides in the center of the graph - this is the point where you know enough about the subject to pass the test, but haven't yet grasped the gestalt, the zeitgeist, or other foreign words of your choice. Creative applications of the discipline aren't quite in your grasp yet, let alone new contributions or discoveries.

To get over the hump and begin moving down & to the right, you've got to unlearn & abandon some previously useful activities and principles ('cause they've outlived their usefulness). The primary activity at that point is putting pieces together, not adding new pieces. It's about synthesis, not genesis.

I'm currently researching a new concept called Systemic Operational Design (SOD). It's still a new discipline, and the "recommended reading list" from the concept's originator runs to 8 pages, with 111 items. That puts SOD squarely in the Region of the Complex (dead center of the diagram). That's not a bad thing at all - it's a natural part of the journey. I am confident that researchers & deep thinkers are already working on unifying the concepts, simplifying and streamlining it into some sort of coherent whole. This takes time, and perhaps there are more key concepts that have yet to be created. Time will tell.

I would love to hear about other applications & variations on the Simplicity Cycle. I hope you find it a useful way to represent the journey of understanding. Happy trails!

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Dan Ward is a military technologist, electrical engineer, storyteller and juggler. You can visit with Dan at his blog and at Rogue Project Leader, a webzine for project leaders with attitude!