The Complexity Solution

The solution to complexity is simplicity. However, many people fail to seek simplicity, so they get bogged down in needless complexity, which can in turn lead to all sorts of mental illnesses, as explained in this short YouTube video by Jordan Peterson.

Having gone through a deep depression myself back in the winter of 2016/17, I could immediately relate to Jordan Peterson's explanation. I had arranged my affairs in such a convoluted manner that it seemed close to impossible to sort it all out.

A big part of this complexity was due to the state and its demand on me as a tax donkey. I had constructed a complex scheme to subvert it. However, things started to unravel, and it was clear that I had to do something drastic in order to get out of the mess. This sent me into my depression at the precise moment I needed to concentrate fully on a permanent fix to my situation.

Luckily for me, I realized intuitively that the fix had to be simple. I gave up on my initial plan to add further complexity to stay out of the taxman's way. Instead, I decided to stand up to him by quickly moving all my assets into the hands of my children. Once this was achieved, my depression lifted, and things have become better ever since.

This experience, while specific to me, has some points to it that can be used by anyone suffering under too much complexity. One thing I realized early was that success could only be achieved through a fearless approach to the problem at hand. I had to play by my own rules, not the rules of others. If that provoked the ire of my adversaries, so be it. Toss me in jail if you have to, but I can't let you have your way with my assets and my life. I'd rather sit locked up a few months than comply.

This approach is not the same as standing up in defiance. The goal was not to provoke a conflict, which would only serve to further complicate my situation. The goal was to save my assets while simultaneously making things simpler for myself.

As it turned out, no negative consequences emerged. The taxman didn't come knocking on my door. What transpired was a radically more simple life.

The lesson from this is that the solution to complexity problems related to government mandates can be found in a quiet subversion of the system, especially in times of tyranny. Don't let others define our daily routines. Live life simply and with little direct conflict, but always in harmony with our desires. Don't add complexity to our lives in order to comply, and don't resist in a way that makes life more difficult. Be the fearless Stoic that lives and let live. If someone comes knocking on our door, let them do so. Never give up on life out of fear. The worst they can do is rarely more than a few weeks in jail, and the chances that they will in fact do this are slim.

Mask of the beast