“Everything
should be made as simple as possible, but no simpler.” – Einstein
Everybody
loves simplicity. It makes life easier in so many ways – who
doesn’t love the words ‘plug and play’? But there are times, as
Einstein points out, when one can over-simplify. However, we seem to
be living in a world where over-simplification is a daily fact.
Newspapers and TV channels rely upon superficial sound bites when
covering complex issues, algorithms lock us into personal echo
chambers, and many politicians and activists worldwide espouse
simplistic, often extreme, views as a means to garner votes.
Conflict
accentuates this tendency to over-simplification. Typically,
adversaries in heated debates quickly move towards extreme ends of
the spectrum. The middle ground is lost and, along with it, nuance,
the awareness of complexity, and the ability to hold differing
perspectives and work towards integral rather than exclusive
solutions.
All
this may seem a long way from Auroville. Yet we...
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