Here is Ben Casnocha’s list, to skip the explanations:
1. Losing Weight
2. Becoming a Better Writer
3. Becoming a Better Entrepreneur
4. Becoming a Better Parent
Ben says they are hard, but also simple. I view #1 and #2 as simple, for reasons similar to Ben’s. The hardest thing about being a parent is knowing when to punish and when to ignore. The hardest thing about being an entrepreneur is, I suspect, other (competing) entrepreneurs. I will nominate being happy as overcomplicated by society. Your thoughts?
Addendum: Bryan Caplan — a man who does not overcomplicate — chimes in.
Society is one of those buzzwords that people like to use to attach blame to something nonspecific. Is he saying that without a society, these things would be easier? I at least prefer society to the absence of one. Or maybe he wants a different society. Either way, the title could easily be “what do markets overcomplicate?”, “what do market failures overcomplicate”, “what do asymmetry’s of information overcomplicate?”, or perhaps “what do entrepreneurs overcomplicate?” In every case, his objection seems to be to consumption of books, videos, seminars, etc. that profess to help people in these areas. I agree with this objection, but if everyone else wisened up then this market would go away, and it would probably actually get harder to be an entrepreneur in that respect.
I’d second what Tim has to say; as an entrepreneur I spend much less time worrying about competitors and much more time worrying that my own business will implode for reasons that have nothing to do with anyone else.
Paying for medical care.
1. Investing. buy and hold the global market portfolio at the lowest expense possible. this is not hard. this is probably the biggest no brainer simple thing that people spend huge amounts of time and $$ on only to do worse.
2. putting together a winning sports teams. Avoid the knuckleheads and crackheads. get good attitude role players to go with the stars. Don’t have the coach be a screamer. don’t give big money to a free agent who had one great year (his contract year).
3. publishing. send your stuff out, when its rejected take the reports seriously, try to improve it. never give up. work on more than one thing at a time. never give up. read widely and deeply. never give up.
Kevin, “never give up” is just terrible advice. Most people should try lots of things, and then give up on most of them, only continuing on with a few.
Not to be ageist or anything, but what would an 18-year old know about #4?
As for #1, your buddy Seth Roberts’ claim to fame is that what sounds “simple” actually requires some cleverness in implementation.
“The hardest thing about being a parent is knowing when to punish and when to ignore.”
I think I’m inclined to agree with that Alfie Kohn here (if that’s what I’m doing). As an economist you may be predisposed to think about incentives, but don’t forget that when you make up rules, the kids are smart enough to know it’s you who made them, and that you could have made them differently. And I’m pretty sure you want them to think like that, so that they aren’t easily manipulated by, say, politicians, offering them carrots and sticks when they become adults.
You wonder when to punish. I believe in never punishing, but acting reasonably according to what the children do. If I take them to a park, and they start fighting with other kids, then I can’t take them to the park anymore. Not to punish them, but to protect the other kids — and it’s important that they understand the difference. Once I’m confident they won’t do it again we can return to the park…
I think the same way with rewards: If they do something that makes me happy, I say so, and if they do something that saves me work, look, now there’s more time to be spent with you doing something fun!
Such a fascinating question. Is it society that overcomplicates our efforts to be happy — or just ourselves, our human nature? Like eating, where the formula is simple–eat less, eat better, exercise more–the formula for happiness is pretty simple, too. I’d say the essential elements are fun, energy, peace of mind, and love. The complicated part is doing the things that will boost these element of our lives. It’s hard work to be happy!
Perhaps marriage, or just living together with a loved
mate. It ain’t easy be any means, but being open and
honest with one’s self and with the loved-one seems to
go a very long way.
But then again, I’m still working on it….
Canoncha gets it wrong on writing. It’s not enough to read more and write more. You need to have someone else critique your writing, knowledgably and mercilessly, and you have to incorporate that critique into your future work.
Anything can have a simple answer. That doesn’t mean it’s correct, or feasible to implement.
This kid reminds me of all those dozens of pop songs that have entreated us all just to love each other more for the sake of world peace.
To jp on eating less and exercising more: Eat better stuff. It’s been said before, which I guess is Casnocha’s point, but eating more vegies and whole grains will give you ample energy for exercising on fewer calories than the typical high fat, high sugar diet. I’m a runner and biker and eat to a “crunchy” diet, and it fuels me fine. Granted, plenty of folks find such a diet hard to hew to.
The markets here (losing weight, how to be this, how to be that) is people offering, and trying to sell, their own opinion on whatever they feel they are an expert in. Which is what many people have done here in the comments section…for free.
Ensuring economic growth
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