Simple Sunday X

[Barrett Dorko]

Each Sunday for ten weeks I want to briefly examine one of John Maeda’s Ten Laws of Simplicity.

Unless otherwise designated, the quotes will be from this book. Some are considerably paraphrased, but the book led me to them.

Using simplicity to enhance our understanding of complex processes has been beneficial elsewhere but I don’t think it has been used specifically for manual care before. In fact, we’ve usually moved in the other direction. As has been said, “Complex does not equal complicated” and if simplicity lies at the far side of complexity (not my original idea either) studying the deep model of the nervous system remains essential to our method. This, however, is a task that never ends.

In the meantime, some conclusions about the nature, power and effect of simplification can be drawn. They come from Maeda.

Law Ten: Simplicity is about subtracting the obvious, and adding the meaningful.

The past few years my near obsession with minimalism and simplification has resulted in some interesting if not somewhat annoying habits. I find myself saying less – often leaving the ends of sentences off when I feel the statement’s point is obvious to anyone really listening. When I get the sense that finishing would be like explaining the joke I just told, well, I give others credit for understanding without elaboration.

What makes my speech meaningful is the context, and I devote time to creating and noticing that.

Openess simplifies complexity. With an open system, the power of the many can outweigh the power of the few.

I have the distinct impression that the culture of Soma Simple does this in a manner that few might notice - but it has resulted in a wealth of meaningful dialogue. With our numbers and the work done by so many, we’ve managed to simplify a number of complex concepts.

Urgency and the creative spirit go hand in hand, and innovation as a positive return is a desirable benefit.

Our task at Soma Simple is clear to me: Change the profession.

Urgent enough?

[Frédéric]

Change the profession.

David up against Goliath

[Barrett Dorko]

Frederic,

I liken the task to something else since the opponent isn't entirely aware of the weapons we possess, the allies we have or the field of battle upon which we engage.

Theirs is a fortress and thus cannot move. We're mobile here and constantly finding resources with which the old ideas might be seriously questioned. We send in clinicians and now highly trained and responsible researchers and academicians with all the requisite credentials to make transparent (read open) the walls that surround methods that are counter-productive and theories that have been refuted.