I think complexity is mostly sort of crummy stuff that is there because it is too expensive to change. — Jaron Lanier

I think complexity is mostly sort of crummy stuff that is there because it is too expensive to change.

Author: Jaron Lanier

Insight: We live surrounded by things that make no sense — software with seventeen menus when you need one, office procedures that require three approvals, tax codes that baffle experts. We tell ourselves this is necessary. Actually, most of the time it's just expensive to fix. Lanier's insight cuts through the noise: complexity isn't usually a sign of sophistication or careful thought. It's usually the sediment of past compromises, legacy systems, and the simple fact that maintaining the messy status quo costs less than redesigning it from scratch. A company keeps supporting outdated software because migrating everything would cost millions. A workplace keeps a broken approval process because no one has bandwidth to streamline it. The complexity becomes invisible — we assume it must be there for a reason. But here's the slightly uncomfortable part: this means a lot of the frustration in our lives is preventable. Not because we're stupid for not fixing things, but because institutions optimizing for short-term cost-savings will almost always choose "keep the broken system running" over "invest in clarity." Recognizing this helps. You stop blaming yourself for struggling with unnecessarily complex things. And sometimes, you realize you have the power to push back against the crummy stuff.