Don’t focus on one variable—see the bigger picture
We have been writing these weekly articles for almost two years now. It has been a fun ride so far, and it started with us wanting to be a bit more nuanced in our mindset, but also wanting to have the opportunity to dive into topics that we found interesting. There was never a business plan or a roadmap—we just wanted to explore different areas of the human condition, and investigate how to optimize the probability of experiencing a “well-lived life.”
As said, it was never the intention to find “the solution,” but to take a broad perspective on everything from philosophy, science, and spirituality to your morning coffee—and see if we could find something useful. One of the topics we talked a lot about at the start was that people often have a too-narrow approach to things in life. We find an opportunity or problem and we try to maximize the return on investment on that single variable. This sounds a bit stupid in writing, but this is the way people address problems, most of the time, and our deep dive into a myriad of different topics have given us a bit of clear site concerning this way of problem-solving. We always thought that this was a counterintuitive way to approach things, but it seems to be the one people and society tend to preach, and we couldn’t give a satisfying explanation on why this was an ill-informed approach. But as we went deeper, the answer kind of showed itself—and the answer is that most stuff is quite complex…
Einstein once said that you should make a thing as simple as possible, but not simpler than that. We’re paraphrasing, but we think that this hits the nail on the head. Life, society, and our bodies are complex systems, and if you’re only fixated on maximizing one thing, you’re probably hurting other areas. “But coffee drinkers,” you might say, “nobody only focuses on one area!” Well, my sophisticated imaginary friend, that’s the thing—we do it all the time, but we’re so accustomed to it, that we don’t think about it most of the time. We see this single-minded focus in many areas of life, and here are some examples:
When people are pursuing a career and neglecting other things in life like family and friends.
Using sunscreen all the time to minimize the risk of cancer and aging skin, but not realizing that direct sunlight exposure has a multitude of benefits for our general health and wellbeing.
Staying bedridden for long periods if you're injured or sick.
Eating vegan, carnivore, or other very restrictive diets.
Avoiding cold or heat because it’s uncomfortable.
What we found in our journey so far is that everything is a part of a complex system and taking a more holistic perspective on everything we do is quite beneficial. Don’t get us wrong, this is not an argument against a career or the damaging effects of prolonged sun exposure. A holistic approach, moderation, and seeing the big picture are what we are promoting.
So, our takeaway is that if you’re trying to maximize a single variable, then you’re probably not seeing the bigger picture. Our bodies and society are complex systems, which have been under construction since the beginning of time. Everything has a function, and our best hope is to try to get a better understanding of how the system works before we try to change any one of its parts.
So, if you want to make a change, then start by looking at and understanding the bigger picture. If you put changes in the context of a holistic perspective, then there’s a greater chance that it will make a generally positive impact on your life and your surroundings.
Until next time
Scott and Lennart