life is simple

I like the simple life. We spend our time on so much nonsense. We spend so much time earning money we don't need (our ancestors were just as happy with less), and making things look clean and tidy (I like a tidy life, but I have a lot of higher priorities that always get in the way), and on entertainment that isn't very entertaining, and fashion, and appearances, and so much else.

Life really is simple. The animals know it. You eat, sleep and reproduce. Everything else is just a means to an end. We work to eat, we relax to regain our energies, and we have friends because they help ensure our survival.

Of course, these simple elements soon arrange themselves in novel and surprising ways. For example, we (humans) need relatively huge brains (with enlarged frontal lobes) just to cope with social interactions. But just like waves on the sea, these complex features have very simple causes. If we understand the causes we can see past the complexity and see the underlying simplicity. Understanding the causes also gives us more power to change things.

If you reduce life to its simplest level (eat sleep, reproduce) you get accused of reductionism, of taking the joy out of life. But I say "j'accuse"! The people who take the joy out of life are the puritans and those who can't see beyond the present. There is nothing more joyful than rest after a hard day, or love, or food when you are hungry. And there is nothing more inspiring than the universe and endless potential.

I want a simple world without all the nonsense and confusion. I want a world of peace and understanding and justice and freedom. My 'answers' web site might look complicated, but it's much simpler than the alternative.