The Dignity of Simplicity - Why We Need to Achieve It

In Part 3 of my 12 foundational values for life, we are going to discuss the Dignity of Simplicity. In this post we want to analyze what it means and how we can make application of it here at WA.

What Is It?

I found this quote from Josh Hinds on getmotivation.com:

"Author John Maxwell says, “There is great dignity in simplicity. Most of the immortal works of literature not only have the brilliance of brevity, but also the dignity of simplicity. The Lord’s Prayer consists of only 57 words, none more than two syllables. The Declaration of Independence, which revolutionized the thinking of the new world, can be read by a fourth-grader in less than five minutes. Simplicity is eloquent; it speaks loud and clear without insulting the intelligence of the listener.”

We learn a lot from the above. Living a complicated existence can overwhelm us in that we clutter our lives with so many unnecessary things and/or issues. We may take on others problems when we are powerless to help, or we start accumulating lots of things that then need maintaining, cleaning and protecting. Stress grows because we lose track of where things are, how to pay for stuff we want but don't need, possibly even accumulating debt we can't service.

How To Simplify - Things

Simplifying our life can be quite a challenge. Due to social engineering and advertising, we have become conditioned to equate success with lots of stuff. The buy now, pay later, get all you want mentality pervades our society. In fact, these are the very things that can hinder success, since we are distracted by them. How can we declutter? Simplify? Cut back?

I am inspired by the exercise Ambassador Steve Cox went through. His disconnect project allowed him to unplug from technology and refocus on what aspect of his life was really important and of value. Have we ever thought of doing something similar?

My wife and I simplified our lives last year when we sold 85% of our possessions and went to live in Asia as Christian volunteers for a year or more. The experience changed our approach in many ways. It was liberating, although at times difficult, to sell beloved possessions, including a lovely Hyundai car, so that we could have this experience.

How to Simplify - Writing

The dignity of simplicity can be manifested in our writing. As noted in the comment from John Maxwell, some of the most important literature man has known is enhanced by its brevity. Achieving that in our writing can be a challenge. The key to this is getting our thoughts together in such a way that we outline with less verbiage but more powerful impact. What can help? Developing an outline first.

Last year I wrote a tutorial here at Wealthy Affiliate about public speaking. (https://my.wealthyaffiliate.com/training/public-sp...) Lesson 5 was the need to prepare an outline. How could this help us with our writing? Having the ideas down in bullet point form beforehand, with the main points highlighted, we are able to really get to the crux of the subject we are presenting. A simple outline will help us achieve the brevity we desire. Editing after writing our post is also a vital step in achieving simplicity.

Wrap Up

Simplification is not easy. Note what Steve Jobs said about achieving it:

But, with a clear vision of what we want to achieve and the associated benefits, reaching out for the dignity of simplicity will be worth all the effort.

What has been your experience with this? Got something to share? Please share your valued opinion below.

Till next time,

Duncan