On Complexity, and Thinking Through It
Complexity is the nature of modern life. As the global economy becomes more interrelated, it also becomes more difficult to manage or predict. Oil prices go up based on a weather forecast in the Gulf of Mexico. The Dow Jones loses 300 points because of the rumor that Greece may default on its debt. Technology and the Internet serve as accelerants, increasing our sense of lost control.
One way to cope with this complexity is to withdraw. Throughout history we have seen individuals and sects within our society who have chosen to live deliberately and simply. Henry David Thoreau went to live on Walden Pond. The Amish move goods with horse and buggy, even as cars zip by at 60 miles an hour.
A more common reaction is disengagement. Many of us manage our anxiety by not really thinking. And fortunately for us, there are people and groups out there who are interested in thinking for us: financial advisors to tell us what to do with our money; television and radio talk show hosts to tell us what to believe and for whom to vote. We have experts to tell us what to eat, or what pills to take to increase our energy or prevent cancer.
An important function of education should be to prepare our children to manage complexity in their adult lives, not by withdrawing or disengaging, but through the development of higher level thinking skills such as analysis, evaluation and synthesis. These skills help us see the underlying structure and simplicity of complex systems. In teaching our students to think through it, we will increase their autonomy, reduce their anxiety, and strengthen society as a whole.