Simplicity_Humility

For Private Use Only – Strictly Confidential

Simplicity and Humility – GoverningDynamics and Perceptions

A Compilation of Discussion

For Private Use Only – Strictly Confidential

Preface

Dear Member,The following paper is a compilation of the minutes of the discussion. I have made anattempt to provide the same in an essay format with headings for coherence. Thispaper is strictly meant for

Private Use

of the members only. This paper is not anacademic or research paper and hence

you are strictly advised not to quote anythingoutside

. The objective of the paper is to only provide a summary of what has beendiscussed. This means that the topic is still open for discussion, debate anddeliberation in the online forum/ blog.Every society’s ethical norms, both religious and otherwise, have certain qualities asindicating goodness or positive attitude. These qualities however, over time, seem toused by us without really getting into the roots of the meaning or what the qualityreally stands for. The Society for Intellectual Thinking (hereinafter referred to as‘SIT’) identified two such popular qualities namely Simplicity and Humility, twoterms that are being used often as indicative of the goodness in a person. SIT sat downto discuss the varying perceptions and dynamics in these two aspects. The discussioncovered the following:

•

Simplicity – An understanding, perceptions involved

•

Humility - An understanding, perceptions involved

•

Humility and Simplicity –Are they real/ ideal or just a culmination of actionsindicating their nature? Does it really matter to be simple or humble within orit is just enough to act to exhibit or affect other’s perception of being simpleand humble?

Date:

14/ 12/ 08

Venue:

Gandhi Statue, Marina Beach, Chennai

Participants

1.

Srinath Varadarajan2.

Prashanth Krishnaswami3.

S Ramachandran4.

L.VidyaShankar5.

Shreekanth Mahendiran6.

Aparajith Jayaraman7.

Akshay Madhavan8.

Abhinaya Ramadurai9.

Ashwini Ashok Kumar

Regards,Srinath VaradarajanMember, SIT

For Private Use Only – Strictly Confidential

Simplicity – An Understanding

“Simplicity is subtracting the obvious and adding the meaningful”

– John Maeda

The above definition of Simplicity could be considered as a staring point for thediscussion on the varying aspects of this popular term, quality and nature. The twomain aspects of the quote include 1) “obvious” and 2) “meaningful”, which needanalysis.The first term, “obvious” is easier to analyse meaning that it is indicative of the setpatterns, stereotypic mindsets, “wanna be” attitudes, pre conceived notions, primafacie opinions, etc. Hence, “obvious” in simple terms, could be assumed to meanthose which your friends tell you, what the society tells, what everyone normallydoes, what your parents think, what one tends to think about something prima facie,etc.The second term, “meaningful” is tricky and requires a lot more analysis andunderstanding of the varying perceptions as it involves a lot more subjectivity. Thesubjectivity though is individual, there is a significant influence of the ideas of thereligion/society/group which at times overlaps or even surpasses individual ideas.Figure 1 below indicates the factors influencing the idea of simplicity and themanifestations of the idea.

Figure 1: Simplicity

– Influencing Factors and Manifestations