It’s just hit me again – another thing that’s been at the back of my mind. It’s these words ‘it’s complicated’. And it’s hit me because I had just reviewed an item, I had purchased on Amazon about which somebody else said ‘Very good but complicated to set up.’
Look, it doesn’t matter what the item is. I had to really think to myself, “What’s complicated… what does that mean?” -as the person did not explain further. So then I thought to myself what did I do to setup the item. It took about 5 steps to set it up to maximum performance, but only 3 for basic performance.
So I’m wondering if the individual was referring to ‘complicated’ as meaning 3 steps. No – I don’t have the energy to find out. I just know that in e-forums if you ask a straight question you’re more than likely to get some waffle that then consumes more time to clarify. I’m just more content to spend my time wondering about what ‘It’s complicated’ means.
I’ve come to a view that ‘complicated’ when used to refer to things in the IT domain, means that it took more 3 or more steps.
My perception of people over the years is this:
- They want to plug something in and it must sing and dance immediately.
- If it requires some effort, to read a short manual and to follow a few steps – that’s what they call ‘complicated’.
- People are generally lazy – not just in body but in mind! Lazy people – the majority not admitting to themselves or others that they’re lazy – don’t like to exert much effort on anything.
- The more unfamiliar a thing is, the more likely it is to be seen as ‘complicated’.
- Things that appear slightly contradictory at first glance are seen as ‘complicated’ or ‘complex’ or whatever.
In tight-summary, people do not want to exert effort. They won’t admit it but actually they want knowledge, skill and performance for no or very little actual effort. Amusingly people who do acquire knowledge, skill and perform well at seemingly complex/complicated things, are then said to be ‘gifted from birth’ or some similar rubbish. In other words – no points for hard work – ‘It’s yuh genes that gives yuh the edge – innit?’
I’m often careful therefore in correspondence and in my conversations to try not to introduce more than two issues or conditionals in the same sentence. Experience has thought me that average people cannot hold on to more than about two concepts at one time. Well, here we go – I’ll be accused of being aloof or arrogant just for stating my observations (in general). Expecting the usual, “Are you saying you’re better than other people!!!? How self-important!”. Well what’everrr.. I’ll have my say. If for example in an email, I state that I need three things and itemise them, and require a response on each, I can bet that most people will respond on only one and completely miss out the other two. And then I have to go hunt them down for answers on the rest. Ooooo.. somebody wants to defend these people. Lemme help you, “They may have been busy and just forgot.. and would have got back to you on the other two later!” – which is TOTAL GARBAGE!! If people want to say, “I can only answer two now, will get back to you on other issues by next Friday…”, then say so – but that’s not what happens. They just answer one issue out of the three – as if there was nothing else of relevance.
The amount of times I’ve seen the sort of thing I refer to, is countless. So if they’ve all ‘just forgotten’ then it means I’m dealing with a bunch of dements! They should all be sacked – for having such ‘uncomplicated’ attitudes to work or business.
No!! I’m afraid it is the avoidance of exerting effort – laziness – that this is about. It’s not that people don’t have the brains to understand some complicated issue (as they would put it). It’s simply that they won’t use their brains – and they then decide to cop out by going ‘it’s complicated’ or “what you were saying appeared complicated”. Over and out!
