Complexity is Bliss?

New York Times: The New Year’s Cocktail: Regret With a Dash of Bitters

This is a great article on rumination.  I’m not going to do much to explain / summarize it, so you might want to read it before continuing:

Complexity reflects an ability to incorporate various points of view into a recollection, to vividly describe the circumstances, context and other dimensions. It is the sort of trait that would probably get you killed instantly in a firefight; but in the mental war of attrition through middle age and after, its value only increases.

This definition makes complexity seem so… clear-headed. So “Ah! Now I see the light.” I would argue that no, complexity is, well, complicated. It’s a dozen different ah-ha! moments added up. And each of those times, you thought “This explains it. It all makes sense now.” There’s that clarity. But in the end — when you reach that higher level of complexity — all the different causes, influences, situational factors, relationship issues, genetic components, perspectives, dimensions, etc. are just tangled in a big mess.

Not that you don’t reach some state of higher wisdom. You role your eyes at girls who are “only anorexic because they don’t want to get fat.” (Riiiight.) It is very valuable to be able to identify contributing factors and understand your response.

“I feel fortunate in a backhanded way to have experienced misfortune as a young woman. I feel it taught me humility … and the ability to regroup. … Life is good but not lavish. It’s hard work and we have to give each other a hand once in a while.”

Huh. This is the phenomenon that I call “having had too much therapy.”

What I really wonder after reading this article… is how does complexity relate to Maslow’s stage of self-actualization? It came to mind immediately while reading the article. And, in this case, how does the following excerpt apply? Because not everyone reaches the self-actualization stage… and I would make an argument that many people never reach a high level of complexity, either. At least not in some domains. I think that some people will always view their divorce, depression, eating disorder, etc., from a simple, one-dimensional perspective.

Dr. King has followed groups of people for years and found that this knack for self-evaluation develops over time; it is a learned ability. “To elaborate on loss, to look for some insight in it, is not just what a psychologically mature person does,” Dr. King said. “It’s how a person matures. That’s what the studies show.”