Complex or complicated?
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Complex or complicated?
First, our modern world has more interconnected systems than before. So we encounter these systems with greater frequency and, most likely, with greater consequence. Second, we still attempt to cure problems in complex systems with a naïve understanding of cause and effect.
Michael J. Mauboussin • Think Twice: Harnessing the Power of Counterintuition
Who and What Problems—Challenges That Relate to Things, People, and Roles
Lee LeFever • The Art of Explanation
A complex problem cannot be simplified. If you can simplify it, then it isn’t a complex problem. You may choose to focus energy on a key leverage point, or establish one or more enabling constraints. To make progress, you may choose to selectively ignore things, blur your vision, or think in broad strokes. These approaches will reduce cognitive loa... See more
John Cutler • TBM 28/52: First Focus. Then Simplify
Hard things are hard because there are no easy answers or recipes. They are hard because your emotions are at odds with your logic. They are hard because you don’t know the answer and you cannot ask for help without showing weakness.
Ben Horowitz • The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers
Artificial, man-made mechanical and engineering contraptions with simple responses are complicated, but not “complex,” as they don’t have interdependencies. You push a button, say, a light switch, and get an exact response, with no possible ambiguity in the consequences, even in Russia. But with complex systems, interdependencies are severe. You ne... See more