Complicators & Simplifiers

     I have heard it said there are two types of people in the world: those who divide the world into two categories, and those who don't. :)
     Count me with the former camp. Been my life experience people fall into one of two categories: The Complicators and The Simplifiers.
     You can identify either in a matter of seconds. Complicators live from the problem side of the equation. They love drama... revel in petty details, and they walk away disappointed or slightly annoyed when someone offers resolution, so familiar are they with their Complicator scripts.
    Simplifiers are the counter opposite. They long for solutions, often so as to not have to hear the Complicator's story repeated yet another time. They size things up quickly, study things deeply, and with great intention move away from repeats of the Complicator's love of over-dwelling on problems, much preferring to spend their resources of time, money and energy on solutions. (And when solutions don't come easy, these are the ones you'll find doing serious research as to what is needed to get there; then they get to work to recruit the necessary help to see it through.)
     In a nutshell: one loves problems; one loves answers. As a simple algebraic equation, you'd think this would balance out. Stick a problem lover with an answer maker and poof! Problem solved.  But sadly life doesn't work that way, for the reality is, we humans tend to hang with our own, which is to say, Complicators (i.e. the complainers in life) love other complainers. They are birds of a feather. Simplifiers, are likewise drawn to their own. These meet up with each other in self-help classes, group therapies, etc... They read biographies of leaders and spiritual books, for they are ever seeking answers that will better their lives and the lives of others (including Complicators who might like to change teams).
     While problematic on the individual level, it is catastrophic politically, which is precisely what is happening now; I can think of no clearer example than what went down with our elections today.
     I went to my polling precinct as I'm told did record numbers of others, each of us hoping to be heard; wanting to do our patriotic part. At the polls I found Simplifiers...kind and patient people, volunteering their time, (a 12-hour day, not counting the advance training) all to help us, the voting public, understand the process, the new machines, etc. But behind the voting curtain...arrrrrgh--The Complicators! As if the new machinery weren't complicated enough (all in the name of simplifying--you coulda fooled me) those Amendment votes were nothing BUT complicated. I swear, I have NEVER seen poorer, more convoluted wording, and on matters of such serious concern.
     Before heading to the polls, I did my homework. I researched, I googled...I tried to get to an authentic grasp of just what the jumbled wording meant, in hopes of saving myself and the people behind me, precious time. Sure, I'd seen the ads. But this is our constitution folks! I personally don't think anyone should vote based on 30-seconds of an ad on such serious issues. Still, I was befuddled. I'd think I had it figured out only to look up and realize the link I followed landed me on an agenda-ized website, with THEIR wording full of fear and warning, leaving me no clearer answers than when I'd tried to comprehend the original.
     So I reached out to political friends: lawyers, professors,  legal scholars...people I trust to explain fairly, without agenda. I was deeply troubled to find some of the brightest minds I know admitting the wording was unnecessarily complicated, (I assume "by design"). If difficult for a constitutional scholar, what hope does a lay person have to decipher the independent and dependent clauses, the coordination and subordination of the sentence structures? Add to that the precious few minutes we have behind that curtain...I mean, you beg us and guilt us to come out and vote and then you do THIS to us? Stick too many more of these mumbo-jumbo worded amendments and you're gonna lose your voters all together. After all, we have lives. We have jobs. We're paying the taxes that pay for your pensions and perfect healthcare plans. You might want to take a page out of the Simplifier's playbook before the next one, oh great leaders of ours.
     If what happens on the individual level to Complicators and Simplifiers plays out politically, (which is what is happening) Katie-bar-the-Door!  If personal experience is any indication, those who live to complicate, will soon find themselves surrounded by more Complicators...having rid themselves of any hope of bringing a Simplifier into their mix. And the Simplifiers will (if personal patterns are any indication) eventually figure out that Complicators in their heart of hearts, don't want things fixed, so much as they feed off creating problems to keep the Simplifiers busy.  But you see, here's the rub. Simplifiers, being serious lovers of peace and resolution, will eventually drop their end of this tug-o-war game.  At some point, an "Aha" occurs when Simplifiers (having studied the equation) discover that healing only comes when they quit giving their energy to Complicators, at which point Complicators have to start simplifying or die.

     And at this point, a major paradigm shift occurs.

     And THEN (and only then) can true healing begin.