An orange is an orange

Cookie: “Do you know a lot of things?”
Dandy: “Maybe.”
Cookie: “Can you tell me, why is an orange orange?”
Dandy did what any modern parent would do— turned to Google!
Google: “Orange as a color adjective dates from the early 16th century; therefore, we can say that the orange is called orange because it is orange, and orange is orange because of the orange.”
Dandy: “So, Google says… An orange is orange!”

How often do we search for complex answers to simple questions? We assume that if the question seems complicated, then the solution must be too. We’ve been conditioned to believe that we need superior intellect to solve any problem. The harder the problem, the harder the solution.

But what if the solution to some of life’s most intricate problems is actually surprisingly simple? What if we need to use our intellect to simplify the problem instead of creating a complex soltion. In that case, do we need a superior intellect or a simple shift in thinking itself?

This thought connects with a powerful story from The Power of Habit, where an army major in Iraq used the principles of habit formation to address a growing problem of violence in the streets. The major studied the patterns of riots and noticed something simple: food vendors often appeared before unrest took place. When he proposed a simple solution—removing food vendors from plazas—the violence in the area significantly decreased. No complex strategies, no massive changes. Just one small habit alteration that shifted the outcome.

The story is a profound example of how, sometimes, the answer to a problem is not as complicated as it first appears. We’re often trained to perceive problems as large, insurmountable obstacles that require complex, multifaceted solutions. This perception comes from our minds’ inclination to match the perceived size of a problem with a solution of equal complexity. We think that the bigger the problem, the bigger the answer.

Here is a mindfulness exercise I picked out for you from the world of process improvement (aka my past life)
The solution to a problem often emerges through a careful and deliberate process of articulating the problem itself. Instead of jumping to conclusions, Six Sigma, (A fact-based, data-driven philosophy of improvement that values defect/error prevention over defect/error detection.), encourages us to break down the issue in simple, clear terms: What exactly is the problem? Where is it happening? How do we know it’s a problem? How big is the issue, and who is being affected by it?

By clarifying these basic elements, we often discover that the real problem isn’t as big or as complicated as we initially assumed. This process forces us to strip away unnecessary assumptions and distractions, allowing us to identify the simplest, most effective solution. It’s a reminder that complexity often comes from a lack of clarity, not from the nature of the problem itself.

So, just like the orange, sometimes the answer is right in front of us—it’s not about overcomplicating, but about distilling the issue down to its purest form and finding clarity in the simplicity.