Why We Let Bullshit Stop Us

The Overcomplication That Feels Productive

You probably already know how to solve your newest problem.

That’s because our struggles usually have simple age-old solutions; so simple they can be boiled down to a few words.

At the risk of oversimplifying…oh wait…to simplify adequately….

“Wait a minute!” you yell in protest. “Easier said than done, Andrew!”

And I excitedly yell back, “Exactly!”

Because the solutions to life’s challenging problems are usually simple but hard to execute. They might demand more of us than we’re prepared to give.

Rather than acknowledge this truth and work the problem, most of us default to a weaselly kick-the-can-down-the-road workaround: overcomplication.

Overcomplication lets us avoid facing the hard things at the root of our problems. And we can overcomplicate in ways that feels productive. Let’s get into the weeds and solve this like the experts! None of that brass tacks drudgery for us. Every hot-take book we read and every study we decipher is one more hour or one more day that we don’t have to face our own struggle to do the simple hard things we need to do.

Overcomplication escapism also solves the conundrum of marketers everywhere: differentiation and increased profits. People happily pay for “unique” complexity that claims to sidestep a simple but hard solution. Usually, it’s just clever BS.

Imagine I wrote a book on improving health. It says only this: “Don’t smoke, drink rarely or not at all, sleep eight hours, move lots, and eat mostly whole plant foods.” Based on the available scientific evidence, that alone would cut deaths from the diseases of affluence by more than half. The ramifications for healthspan, lifespan, and physical misery would be immense.

And yet who would publish such a book? Who would be satisfied having paid for it? No, I’d need to pad it with many chapters of justification, scientific citations, and a “custom” list of superfoods that will bring < 5% of the gains while distracting you from the struggle that brings 80% of the results.

And because I know you’d rather distract yourself with the inessential, I’ll suggest my line of supplements. Some might harm you, and will at best provide >2% of the improvements, but buying them lets you put off facing hard truths. On Sale Now!

The Simple Truth Is Harsh

I spent more than a decade coaching people with autoimmune diseases after bringing my own into remission. I was surprised at how successful I was.

My formula was simple: First, clients fasted and only drank water until their symptoms disappeared. Second, they slowly and methodically reintroduced foods and identified those that caused a return of symptoms. Exercise, sleep, and several other lifestyle elements played a part too. That was 80-90% of the program.

“Waste no more time arguing what a good man should be. Be one.” — Marcus Aurelius

My problem wasn’t the “impossible” task of getting people into remission without drugs. It was keeping them there. Because once the euphoria of returned health wore off, clients faced the daunting task of eating and living healthfully for life. Many of their favorite foods were now verboten. The new lifestyle caused social strain and FOMO.

Many went back to old habits with predictable results because the simple solution turned out to be hard to maintain.

Yet some returned years later after trying all the fairy tales. The steroids often worked but had intolerable side effects. The supplements, fad diets, and magic thinking only drained their time and money. They told me they were ready to do the simple hard thing again, since it was the only thing that ever worked. Most wished they hadn’t wasted years on over-complication.

The Better Formula

There’s a guru in my head who sometimes patiently reminds me: “You’re majoring in the minors again, Andrew.”

It’s usually when I’m reading my 30th study on some niche topic that only reinforces the already-existing 10-word truth summary in my brain. I hear it when I’m giving 90% of my attention to things that will yield 5% of the benefits.

When this happens, I think about something the Stoic Philosopher and Emperor Marcus Aurelius told himself:

"The mind adapts and converts to its own purposes the obstacle to our acting. The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way."
— Meditations, 5.20.

This reminds me that I already know what to do because I have logic and can think things through. When I fail, there’s a giant blinking sign that points to my failure: Get Better At This! Pay Attention Here! Improve!

I’m being invited to use the obstacle.

Most impediments are highways for self-improvement. We’re lucky they show up. This is the heart of the Stoic Game of Life.

What does that mean in practice?

It means working on being mindful, courageous, moderate, just, and wise enough to do the simple hard thing, the right thing that aligns with our character and moves the needle forward.

Kicking the can down the road, overcomplicating, and focusing on minutiae before conquering the simple stuff is never in line with my character. It also rarely solves my problems.

If you’re worried about cancer you can concentrate on the 10% of risk scientists estimate originates from our genes. Or you can concentrate on the 90% of risk originating from our choices

You’ll worry about the first forever without helping yourself. The second requires no worry at all if you pony up and do what needs to be done.

Which one will you focus on?