The If This, Then That Fallacy
Life is set of Complex Experiences, Not a set of Complicated Problems to be Solved
Conditional Statements and Complicated Problems
"If this.....then that..." and its related thought cousin "when this...then that" is how many of us live our lives.
As we should.
"If I get this job, then I can pay off my loans faster" or "When I have $100K of savings, I can buy a house."
In computing or programming world, the if this, then that employs boolean logic that evaluates whether the first part of the condition is true or false and depending on the result, initiates the next step in the process.
To add to the programming jargon, this conditional statement of if this, then that is a staple of algorithms we rely on everyday. An algorithm is nothing more than a step by step procedure for solving a problem.
The if this, then that, or the when this, then that statements - for now, let’s simply call them the Conditional Statements - are the basic building blocks of algorithms we rely on to live. They are embedded in nearly everything in our lives. From the software we use to navigate, our banking systems we rely on to live, and all of the productivity software we rely on to do our everyday work.
These Conditional Statements and which serve as the building blocks of programs we rely on are great at solving simple and complicated problems.
But here's the problem, they are insufficient at solving complex problems.
Sorry, more definitions for clarity are required.
Complicated Problems are predictable, linear, and have finite identifiable variables allowing the problem to be clearly defined and a solution to be easily identified.
Complex Problems are not so. They are unpredictable and do not have a finite and knowable variable set therefore preventing a clearly identifiable problem, process, and solution.
I'll leave the discussion on wicked problems for another day…
Suffice it to say, Complicated Problems are perfectly suited for solutions driven by computing power.
And thank God for that. Complicated Problems can be solved via applications that are now ubiquitous.
Lyft and Uber help us get from here to there easily.
Groceries are packed and delivered to our doorstep conveniently.
We can buy things we need and want with our cards, our phones - or if you're really cool, with your watch.
Life is Complex, not Complicated
The increase of computing power lets us in mass apply Conditional Statements to overcome the Complicated Problems in our life.
This computing power and Conditional Statements duo has worked so well in solving Complicated Problems that we apply it to nearly everything, including Complex Problems.
And that is a big mistake.
The things of life that really matter like:
- Who am I and who do I want to become?
- What is important to me and gives me meaning in my life?
- Why am I here?
Are at a minimum Complex Problems if not Wicked Problems. Indeed the S, the R, and E in the SPIRE Wellbeing Model are more Complex than Complicated.
We treat many things in life as if they are just Complicated Problems to be solved.
Soren Kierkegaard said it best: Life is not a problem to be solved, but a reality to be experienced.
We just can’t treat life as if it were a bunch of complicated problems to be solved. Life is too complex for that.
Anyone who has children, aging parents, a sudden sickness, or who has experienced real suffering knows this truth.
The Human Condition is the reality that life is a set of interrelated Complex experiences not Complicated problems that cannot be solved by Conditional Statements and Computational Power.
Life is not meant to be solved, optimized, nor lived algorithmically.
The paradox of life is when we try to make it predictable it becomes boring but the uncertainty of life causes us to worry.
We want to control our life but we can’t and ultimately more control does not mean more fulfillment.
So the next time you find yourself - like me - trying to treat a complex experience as if it were a Complicated Problem to be solved, ask yourself the following questions:
1. Do I clearly know what the problem and the goal is?
2. Do I know ALL of the variables that influence and interact with this problem?
3. Can I set up a clear process to solve this problem to achieve the goal I want?
4. Can I control the entirety of the process?
If we asked ourselves these questions, we would likely quickly realize how much of our lives are actually complex experiences and not Complicated Problems.
Humans Experiencing Life with Other Humans
The nature of the Human Condition is that we need and want other humans to do life with, to process the complex experiences we are going through, and to navigate the joys and challenges of life's uncertainties with others who can empathize.
At our core, we crave what cannot be optimized or solved algorithmically: purpose, meaning, beauty, joy, significance, a story worth living, love, and being really known by others just to name a few.
Yet, society tells us that technology - which is computational power aggregated to algorithmically process a series of Conditional Statements - has the ability to transform Complex Experiences into Complicated Problems.
It does not.
Technology is great at solving Complicated Problems.
Humans are great at experiencing and processing the Complex.
Humans are complex beings designed to experience the complexity of life in community with others.
This is our reality.
We ignore it to our detriment.
I love the distinction here between the complicated and complex. In my work with faith-driven business leaders, the conditional statement I hear often is "once I'm successful with [company or venture name] I'm going to start giving back and serving God" This is neither complicated or complex but there's definitely a fallacy there that holds back so many otherwise smart and gifted leaders from their greater purpose. ...maybe a future post idea for you my friend.