Joshua’s First Law
For several years, I have had a primary, private intellectual guiding principle. I have called it Joshua’s First Law. It goes as follows: “Everything is more complicated than it first appears.” Or, with a nod to Hofstadter’s Law, “Everything is more complicated than it first appears, even when Joshua’s First Law is taken into account.” And I’ve sometimes attached the revision, known as Joshua’s First Anti-Corrolary, which reads “Except when it isn’t.” But never have I seen this expressed by another. Until I read a version of it on MJD’s Blog. He wrote, “Advice to people wishing to become smarter: Get in the habit of assuming that everything is more complex than you imagine.” Kudos to him.
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