Bono, E. (1999). Simplicity. London: Penguin Books.

This books talks about simplicity, why simplicity, its value, importance and advantages. Albeit not much related to my topic of living life simply (frugal living), but I thought it is good to find out what does simplicity really means and why simplicity and how will it aid with my research about frugal living and helps in relation to the importance of living simply.

Below are the extractions from the book to highlight the quotes and sentences that are related to my topic and probably useful in explaining as to why should we choose to live simply.

 

Getting involved in trying to make things more simple is good for you and good for society. It is almost as important as ecology. Simplicity should become a permanent fashion.

 

The author explains ‘why simplicity?’ :

Simplicity makes life simpler

We almost automatically equate ‘simpler’ with ‘easier’. One of the main purposes of simplicity is indeed to make life easier.

But the process of achieving that might not be an easy process. Similarly to living frugally does not means it will be easy to achieve. So if it not easy, will people still choose to live frugally? What will be the motivation and the reason to make people choose a frugal life voluntarily?

 

Simplicity makes it much easier to do things

Finding a simpler way is usually neither simple nor easy.

An expert is someone who has succeeded in making decisions and judgements simpler through knowing what to pay attention to and what to ignore

Experts progressively make life easier for themselves by simplifying their judgements and decisions. Over time they learn which are the important things to look for. From a mass of data they learn to pick out what really matters. They learn the key discriminators which decide between one situation and another. They learn to ignore the less reliable discriminators, which work only part of the time. An expert doctor learns to focus on the key sign or symptom.

Production engineers are usually skilled enough to cope with complexity and often no longer notice it.

Some people got used to the complexity of the existing system that they no longer regard it as complex.

Complexity means distracted effort. Simplicity means focused effort.

 

Simple systems are easier to set up, easier to monitor and easier to repair

A self-focusing camera is simpler to use than a manually focused camera but is a more complex mechanism in itself.

In a simple system there are a few points to check and fewer interactions to examine.

 

Simple procedures save time, money and energy (not absolute)

 

Simplicity is elegant

There are those who value a simple lifestyle and there are others who enjoy variety and richness – but they would still like to avoid hassle, complications and frustrations.

Could this be one of the reason to motivate people to live frugally?

 

Simplicity is powerful

This is because simplicity is a unification around a purpose.

Simplicity is not natural. You have to choose to make it happen.

To get simplicity you have to want it badly enough.

There has to be a drive, an urge, a motivation to make things simpler.

Because simplicity seems easy we believe it is easy to achieve. When it is not easy to achieve we give up too quickly.

Likewise for frugal living, there has to have a motivation, a drive to make people choose to live frugally. Because it does not just happen.

 

Simplicity is not easy

When they fail to achieve simplicity they believe that simplicity is not possible in that particular situation.

Simplicity will not happen unless people are prepared to work hard at simplicity and make a real effort to achieve it.

When we are looking at cost, we do sometimes make the effort to find something better than the first solution that comes to mind. If the first solution is rather expensive, then we continue to look for a cheaper solution or way of doing things. Could we get into the habit of making the same effort to find something ‘simpler’?

If you really believe that ‘simplicity’ is as important a direction as ‘cost’, then you might make that effort.

Simplicity is even more important as a sought-for value.

Simplicity is even more important as a permanent habit of mind – as a style of thinking.

And to refer it back to frugal living, is money is the only reason that makes people live frugally? Is being poor the only cause to make people live frugally?

 

Simplicity as a value and as a habit

If simplicity is a value you will take it into account. If simplicity is a defined value then you will make an effort to improve matters in the direction of ‘simplicity’, you will appreciate suggestions that make things more simple. If simplicity is an acknowledged value then simplicity becomes part of your judgement screen when you are looking at things or for things.

Much more important than simplicity as a value is simplicity as a habit. This means that simplicity becomes an automatic part of the design process whenever thinking is used.

 

Oversimplification

Oversimplification means pursuing simplification without paying attention to the loss of other values.

Above the level of ‘survival’ we are more bullied and pressured by opportunities than by demands.

There is a complexity of temptations and opportunities generated by a fear of boredom.

 

Complexity of the simple life

If you grow all your own vegetables, they may taste much better but it is more complex than buying them from the supermarket.

The ‘simple life’ is really not that simple. The complexity may be enjoyable and engrossing. In a sense, because you have to do so many things that we normally take for granted, you do not have time for ‘normal’ distractions. You are sufficiently distracted by the mechanics of survival.