Simplicity 101: Noun Count
Many people I know are on a
quest to simplify their lives. Their reasons vary. I have worked
on simplifying for over twenty years, and I find it both a moving
target and a mixed blessing when occasionally I win a small victory
in the duel with complexity. I have come to believe the simplest
way to strive for simplification is to lower one's noun count.
Here is the basic, underlying formula that is standing the test
of time for me.
Simplicity x Noun Count = 1000
Our individual level of Simplicity multiplied times our Noun
Count always equals One Thousand. A noun, you will recall, is
a person, place, or thing, the object or subject of a verb. We
each take actions, described with verbs, on our nouns. The more
nouns we live with, the more actions we must take-or are at least
consider taking. The more actions we take or contemplate, the
more complex our lives. ("I'm so busy.") To simplify
our lives, we reduce our noun count. Simplicity and noun count
multiplied together always equal exactly one thousand. Less nouns;
more simplicity. There is no better way. Try the math. If your
Noun Count is 1000, your level of Simplicity is 1. If you increase
the number of nouns in your life to 3000, your level of simplicity
drops to .33; it becomes two-thirds less than it was when you
had fewer nouns in your life. More nouns, more complexity.
Here is why the number of nouns in your life is fundamental in dealing with simplicity. Let's start with persons. Each person we know requires at least a little time and energy from us. "Hi. How are you?" Friends, as such, take more time and energy than mere acquaintances. Keeping in touch with friends, for example, can run the gamut from phoning them occasionally to having them to dinner at your home. Closer friends, and often family member, typically involve even greater investments. At a bare minimum we try to drop each one a note or greeting card from time to time. Others we visit. Doing so may be a chore or a joy; either way, planning and execution are required. The same is true when people visit us. Add it up. The more persons in our life, the more complicated is our life. This is not an argument for dumping friends or relatives; it is one small beacon of light on why our time flies. Complexity gobbles minuteshoursdays. One of the main reasons people seek to simplify is that they find they don't have enough time to do the things they really want to do.
Places, a second kind of noun, also add complexity to living. If we have one place-say, home-we are at a basic level. If we have a home and a nearby boat or plane, our life is somewhat less simple. If we have a home and a boat and a condo somewhere else, we shift to a more complex level. No matter how quaint or small the additional places, we have more with which to deal. Each and every place demands some attention, including just getting back and forth. In short, concentrating on a single location is simpler than popping around. But, some claim, there is so much to see and learn "over there." Is there? Perhaps. Ben Franklin observed in 1734: "Those who travel heedlessly from place to placeset out fools and will certainly return so." Poor Richard's Almanac.
Things, our third form of noun, are the most obvious complexity boosters. Most of us know by now that we don't own things; they own us! They dictate what we do. From toaster ovens, CDs, and cars to porch furniture, old files, and new shoes, each item must be acquired, moved, maintained, thrown away, gifted, stored or sold, and even used from time to time. And I have found one thing tends to attract others like a magnet attracts paper clips. There is a multiplier effect. At some point bookshelves are crowed, attics are filled, closets overflow. A garage sale is required, or a storage unit somewhere. Meanwhile our hours melt into days, weeks, months, years.
Do we need things? Sure, some. Same with friends and places. But for the sincere simplicity seeker, pruning these three is fundamental. Try trimming your personal noun count and see if you are comfortable with the additional sunlight.
Copyright © 1999, 2003 by Steven C. Brandt
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