Do You Make the Mistake Of Thinking Full Automation Is Simplicity?

What Is The Goal of Simplicity?

Simplification is to cut things out of our lives so that we can fully enjoy what we have. It’s cutting back on people, places and things that give us no joy. It’s learning to want what we have instead of having what we want.

The Role of Automation

Most people assume that automation will provide the key to simplicity, in one form or another. We work for the latest gadget because it will save us time…at the same time committing ourselves to keep working to pay for the contraption. But automation is not the way to simplicity.

Full Automation

Full automation is the state where machines take care of everything you have to do so you can do what you want to do. However, full automation does not run by itself. Automation still requires guidance from us to keep on track. And often times the effort to automate is more complicated that doing the thing yourself to begin with. For example, a friend of mine has a robotic floor washer. She claims it saves her time, but I’ve seen her haul it out and set it up (5 minutes) for spills that I could have taken care of with a damp rag in 5 seconds. I recently found great article on the myth of full automation.

Simplicity and full automation

I don’t think simplicity and full automation are compatible. I don’t want to keep doing the same things via machine; I want to eliminate them entirely.