"The "KISS" Theory"

[thomastech]

I have noticed that some people tend to complicate things that do not require complicated thoughts.

If you have notice the same thing...please tell me I am not going crazy!

[Littlemews]

What do u mean, an examples?

[DippyHippy]

I know exactly what you mean LOL I can give you examples where people look for a hidden meaning in a remark... like, you'd say something simple like "How are you?" and they ask "Why do you ask?" or you'd make a statement like "they sky is blue" and they'd ask "how do you mean?"

I hate all that. I'm usually pretty upfront... I say what I mean and mean what I say and you can tell when I'm being sarcastic LOL

[Chook]

You're being sarcastic Dips ... :P

[DippyHippy]

Well, most people - apart from Chook - know when I'm being sarcastic :P

[Chook]

Hey Dips - how's that business going about visiting the US, like permanantly?

Tinaa tells us that you're welcome at her place for awhile.

If you want to come to a better place still - come to Australia. You can stop at our place for awhile. Besides - my wife's Spanish and she'd be at home with your missus. (Where did you say she came from?)

Sorry - no warm beer, down here, unless you leave it out of the 'frig.
:)

[damienpaul]

after being at chooks, you can come up to Alice Springs for a spell, the beer warms up faster here!

[Josh]

Guys, lets try and keep things in this thread on topic and not deviate into a chat about Dippy's life. Not all topics in the totally off topic area have to decend into chat threads. Okay? Good.

And getting back on topic ... that is exactly like the million dollar space pen (which I have - although mine wasn't a million dollars) the americans made and the russian pencil. I hope they took a sharpener!

[DippyHippy]

Josh is right guys - there's a whole other topic about my intended move - post your replies there please.

[damienpaul]

humble apologies from me and i am certain the rosster.....(like 2 naughty students)

But back to the topic, yes people often do complicate not only messages but their methods, I have also noticed when people often only need to get from A to B - they go through the entire alphabet to get to a simple conclusion.

An example for me is the electric universe concept - to me, it seems to unnecessarily complicate what has been explain and is beign explained in a logical and adequate fashion.

[kashi]

Other people...some with certain *cough* presedential duties...tend to oversimplify things...but then he genuinely is stupid.

[damienpaul]

nasty cough there Kashi :lol:

Yes, and oversimplification is just as bad as complicating things.!!

[Chook]

No thomastech - you're not crazy - just read some of these posts.

(Thanks for the "sorry" Alice.)

[Sp1ke]

I've found that someone who genuinely understands a topic can explain it simply without oversimplifying.

It's when someone wants to cover up a lack of knowledge or gaps and flaws in their thinking, that they pad things out with pseudo-science and waffle.

I think any coherent theory should be understandable to the layman, even if the details behind it need more specialized knowledge.

[damienpaul]

Sp1ke - you have just coined on what i do in the classroom!

[imported_StarStuff]

Originally posted by Sp1ke
It's when someone wants to cover up a lack of knowledge or gaps and flaws in their thinking, that they pad things out with pseudo-science and waffle.

I disagree, not enough can be said about complication, it is the one principle that sets us aside from the lower life forms, such as shipping department personal (inside receiving department joke). Still, my mother did always complain that, when telling a story I had a tendency to ramble a bit. I believe she used to say, and maybe still does, that I always go around the barn 3 times before I go into it. Imagine that. :rolleyes:

[Sp1ke]

Depends what sort of complication you're talking about.

If you're telling a story, you don't pare it down to the bare minimum to get the point across. You add descriptions and characterizations as part of the telling, to make it entertaining. Good storytellers (and teachers!) are allowed to ramble a bit, go off on a tangent, etc.

But if you're trying to explain a theory or a point of view, clarity is critical.

There's a world of difference between explaining a complicated thing in an understandable way, and explaining something in a complicated way.

But then again, we shouldn't reject a theory just because it's explained badly. It's the message that's important, not the messenger.
:rolleyes: