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Human Flourishing | Personal Development | Complexity | Life is a Complex Problem​

Life is a Complex Problem

Living with Complexity and Uncertainty

BY: T. Franklin Murphy | January 2019 (edited December 29, 2021)
A man solving a complex problem on a white board. A Flourishing Life Society article on life complexity
Adobe Stock Images
We need more than a simple, definable solution to well-being; life is complex. We can find joy and flourish, but this problem requires more than a five-step program.
We seek simple, concrete answers to the pressing problems. Some questions respond well to simplicity—many don’t. Some lofty achievements have exact requirements. However, many problems demand a different kind of answer. Flourishing is a complex problem, without an algorithmic answer. We have opportunity to thrive, experiencing more than survival. The world is full of richness, experiences that develop and nourish our souls. We need peace of mind and openness to find a rewarding path through the many corridors of complexity.

​We need a more open and flexible approach. We must experiment with many different possibilities and devise our own novel solution. This approach begins at birth and ends with death. The joys are not the gift of an ultimate discovery, but a fascination with life. We curiously tinker and adjust, feeling the flow of emotions as we embrace and experience life.
​"The world is full of richness, experiences that develop and nourish our souls."
We must vigilantly stand guard against false claims, advertising simplicity—three-steps to happiness. Many present life in a “black and white” way, proudly announcing they discovered the secrets. We are attracted to these unwavering dogmas serving exactness, relieving our burden to work through existence, grappling with uncertainties. The strictness attracts and soothes our senses.

​We want something better out of life and we want it easy. Peddlers separate us from our cash and time, luring us with promises over-simplified rules.
 
I’m not suggesting there are no proven facts. There are many. Modern-day well-being influencers often show little care about facts, relying mostly on emotions. They create the very fears that they campaign to resolve. Scientific journals are flooded with research that benefit our conscientious work to improve. Knowing the facts helps refine our task. However, research obtains clarity by eliminating contributing factors so they can measure a single influencing factor.

Our life is composed of millions of influencers. We don’t have the luxury of living in the confines of a well-defined experiment. We must make associations, test hypothesis, and experience life in our unique environment of past and present.
"Human nature is complex. Even if we do have inclinations toward violence, we also have inclination to empathy, to cooperation, to self-control."
​Steven Pinker
A book, a course, or a belief system that simplifies human behavior to an algorithmic solution must be examined with skepticism. We must dig through the dogma and find the hidden morsels of wisdom. Join with me in this heuristic journey to fulfillment. I do not present my thoughts as the final truth. There is always more to learn. Bounce my ideas around in your minds. Skeptically evaluate and tinker with them, adapting and adjusting before incorporating them into your own individual puzzle of life.
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T. Franklin Murphy
T. Franklin Murphy
Wellness. Writer. Researcher.
​T. Franklin Murphy has a degree in psychology. He tirelessly researches scientific findings that contribute to wellness. In 2010, he began publishing his findings.

Index:

Flourishing in Life
  • Personal Development
  • Mindfulness
  • Addiction Recovery
  • Wellness 
Psychology of Wellness
  • Emotions​
  • Personality
  • Defense Mechanisms
Flourishing Relationships
  • Intimate
  • Parent/Child
  • Society
Health and Fitness
Flourishing Topics
Psychological Definitions
Research
About Flourishing Life
Flourishing Life Society Link to research articles
We can see the world a little clearer by stepping beyond the confines of our own ego.
Psychology Definitions Data Base Link
External Links:
External Link:Is Depression Actually a Unique State of Consciousness?
External Link. How Happy Couples Make Happy People
External Link. Why Failing Is Necessary for Creativity
External Link. Confident Man and a Self-Centered Jerk
External Link: Five Principles Of Positive Psychology To Boost Happiness

​Other Flourishing Life Society articles of interest on this topic:

FLS internal Link. Life's Journey: Structure and Chaos. We travel through life, sometimes towards meaningful destinations, other times aimlessly wandering. We need both purpose and pleasure for psychological wellness.
Eudaimonia: Living Well and Doing Good. A Flourishing Life Society article link
FLS Link. An Article on Complexity: The simple positive messages spread easy. We enjoy hearing them and pass them along. The more complex messages of reality are not always attractive, requiring thought, and are passed over or even rejected. We need both.
Mindful examination of the two internal guidance systems behind our action can refine errant predictions and misguided reactions.
Patronizing Advice. The Curious Task of Writing About Wellness. A Flourishing Life Society article Image link
Unfolding of Complexity. Taking a broader perspective. A Flourishing Life Society article link
FLS Link: Hope Theory: Motivation to Succeed. Hope is more than an optimistic reliance on unseen forces. Hope, according to Hope Theory, is a combination of three elements: realistic goals, energetic determination, and intelligent pursuit.
Science cannot answer all the details of life, much remains undiscovered beyond the grasp of laboratories and imaging machines. This is the undefined center of life.
Being Productive. Flourishing with Productivity. A Flourishing Life Society article link
Self-System. A Flourishing Life Society article link.
The Unknown Story. A Flourishing Life Society article link
Life's Not Fair. A Flourishing Life Society article link

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