The trap of a good puzzle

The problem with trying to optimise for certain things is that the more data points you collect, the more complex navigating to the outcome can become.

If you decide to run and all you do is open the door, run, and come back after a while, running isn’t complex.

As soon as you time the run, giving yourself something to optimise for, you’ve introduced some complexity which you now have to be cognisant of. Now you’re doing timed runs. Next, you’ll be doing timed miles. Then you’ll be measuring your calories, your stride length, and your Vo2 max and now running is incredibly complicated and you have more vectors for you to be unsatisfied with.

Contrast creates data

Every time you define an respect of your identity, you create a new data point.

Being a Protestant wouldn’t mean anything if there weren’t also Catholics. Being Republican wouldn’t mean anything if there weren’t also Democrats.

Many data points, by necessity, create other data points. More complexity.{

You add a new vector of explanation and suddenly it’s not just about having faith, it’s about having a sect, and deciding which granular aspects of doctrine you agree with.

I see people fastidiously following complex diets. They don’t even know what they’re supposed to be eating until it’s confirmed by a book or a post in the reddit community.

The problem is that more data about your diet you become aware of, the more complex your diet has to become. Suddenly you’re doing blood work, wearing a continuous glucose monitor and sending off stool samples to be analysed in a lab.

Do you actually need someone to tell you what good food is?