Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication | newsforum

©Priyanka Saurabh, Hisar (Haryana)

{ Research Scholar in Political Science, Poetess, Independent journalist and columnist, All India Radio and TV Penalist }

Simplicity is a great quality a person can follow in life. We are rightly advised by the wise to believe in simple living and high thought. Simplicity is a quality that makes us easy to understand or do something. Socialism, on the other hand, reflects a civilized nature, elegance, and/or a sophisticated attitude towards life and things. Simplicity, as a quality, can also apply to ideas, appearance, and lifestyle. Great men are always simple men. Most of the great leaders of the world lived a simple life and gained a lot from their simplicity.

Simplicity is about simplifying our lives, eliminating non-essential things, removing unnecessary chaos, and creating a life that focuses on life’s priorities and doing the things that give satisfaction. Simplicity is not a simple process. It is a journey of joy and refinement.

Simplicity is a virtue whose great leaders and our forefathers always insisted on living simple lives to free them from unnecessary worries. Simplicity is a quality that makes something easier to understand. On the other hand, sophistication shows a refined look towards things and life. The idea of simplicity can be applied to lifestyle, appearance, teachings, etc.

The purity of heart, mental ingenuity, and inner sensitivity can become the ultimate instruments of our journey. Fundamentally, simplicity indicates a mental state, which is then projected onto the physical aspects of life. When Gandhi died, he had less than ten items and had no home of his own. Gandhi grew up in a prosperous family but did not miss physical disorientation as he was a man of non-hegemony.

Siddhartha Gautama, who later became the Buddha, also stripped away the physical qualities of a king to pursue a simple and spiritual life. But we do not need to live such minimum lives to be simple. We also do not need to be ignorant in the worldly sense to be simple. For example, Gandhi himself studied law in England and was an educated man, and Siddhartha Gautama was a prince and heavily protected in the realm of the palace and its amenities.

History gives us many examples of simple personalities like Mahatma Gandhi, Mother Theresa, Swami Vivekananda, Lal Bahadur Shastri, Nelson   Mandela, Martin Luther King, etc. If we look at their life, it is clear that those lived a simple life. Mahatma Gandhi always emphasized Swadeshi and for this to happen he wore the only lungi and traveled the country during various satyagrahas and other meetings. In the same way, Mother Theresa also lived a simple life and helped many patients throughout her life. Swami Vivekananda was another great spiritual leader who inspired millions of youth with his intelligence and simplicity. Lal Bahadur Shastri became Prime Minister of India but he has not an own vehicle. He traveled to Parliament through his cycle or by walk.

Simple life always gives mental peace, on the other hand, one who lags in greed for money experiences many psychological issues like depression, lack of concentration on anything in life, dissatisfaction, and sometimes many other big problems too. With a simple life, we will have no desire for materialistic possessions and will be able to have a peaceful mind. The same things have been taught by Gautam Buddha and he can change the thought process of Angulimaan with his simple thought process.

Simplicity faces sophistication rather than vulgar displays of money. Simple presence is a way to connect with more people on a human level because simple presence almost sends a message to the mind. The simple appearance shows a sophisticated attitude towards life rather than an obsession with materialistic gains. On the other hand, in recent times a person brought a gold mask at the time of the epidemic, which clearly shows his subliminal display of wealth power.

Let us focus on the domain of people in politics and political life. Many people have been convicted in many corruption scandals and put in jail for the same. On the other hand, there are some people like Gummadi Narasaiya, a former state legislative member of Telangana state who led a simple life and remained devoted to public welfare.

Former President of India, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam is a classic example of showing a simple life and winning the hearts of the people. Even he did not use his official vehicle for personal purposes, as well as he did not use his power and authority for the benefit of any member of his family. Also, former US President Barack Obama is an example to demonstrate a simple life. He was able to make a place in the hearts of millions of Americans as well as other leaders with his simplicity.

Similarly, if we look in the field of sports, then the Indian cricketer is Rahul Dravid. Despite his ability to afford luxury he is simple in many ways and is evident from many reports about him. In recent times, Bollywood actor Sonu Sood has become an example of living a simple life during the pandemic days, he has helped many people with his simplest thought process.

By simplifying our lives, we make room for beauty and integrity. We build vastness and reorganize our lives. Simple can be more difficult than complex because only a clear mind cannot think clearly. Therefore, from complex to simple is a measure of creativity. We have seen that a child’s life is full of happiness. After all, he does not have any stress nor desires because his desire is limited and he finds his happiness simple.

Ironically, with the advent of modern technology, we have become the busiest creatures on earth with smartphones and the fastest laptops, we have augmented reality but lost very basic emotional family relationships in life.  Thatswhy a psychological earthquake of problems destroys everything.

In the present times, simplicity has become one of the biggest challenges because everyone wants maximum materialistic benefits from mental peace. In the greed of materialistic occupation many times they were killed trying to kill the treasure. Many people have become willing to do anything for money, even at the cost of human relations and life in society.

A Simple person understands what matters and what does not because they are of higher intelligence than most people. Simplicity can be boring for the world but it gives inner peace to a person living simplicity and becoming a good living example.