Edition 68: Complexication.
(If you are wondering WTF this is, this is Kim Bui's occasional newsletter. I used to send it weekly, then monthly, now as I have something to say. All are essays/thoughts on leadership, life, and being in the middle of it all.)
I did not write a Nieman Lab prediction this year.
You see, every year, Nieman Lab asks industry leaders to write a prediction on the future of the journalism industry. I often have an idea in mind, but this year I didn't get around to writing it (hopefully I'll meet deadline next year). Why? It's complicated.
Which was the prediction I had in mind.
In life, as much as in journalism, we are bombarded by messages of simplicity. Simplify your email routine. Minimize your possessions. Read this simple guide to cleaning your home. We are trying to simplify everything.
This makes sense, in the face of the torrent of information that bombards us every day. We want what is simple and best. (The number of times "Best ____" is typed into my browser is ridiculous.)
We believe simple **is** best. Because the best things in life come easily, or so we are taught. Love should click when you meet the right person and is easy after that. Happiness is best found through a simple 10-minute meditation on this app. We relegate complexity to the hard things. Grief is complex. Racism is complex. Late-stage capitalism is complex.
But hear me out. Complexity is important to hold near as a good thing. Love is not simple, it is myriad and complex in how and why we love and whether that is enough for a relationship. Happiness is not a static state, it's a complex, transient one because life influences change every minute.
Stories, especially, are complex.
Earlier this year, while listening to a talk at a JSK session, I drew a Venn diagram. The more I think about it, the more I realize every story overlaps with another. Every person's identity is also a maze of overlapping circles.
In holding simplicity as the ideal, we cut ourselves down. Humans are built to embrace complexity (look at our bodies, even). How is it helping, instead of hindering, to believe that we are only capable of reading listicles and watching "Gaza in 5 minutes" TikToks?
To bring this to leadership, over the past years, I have created a group of dear friends who call each other any hour of the day, and we answer. The reason for most of these calls is something along the lines of this: "Why is this so hard?" Most of the time it is about a tough decision that has to be made -- and explained. And no tough decision has a simple answer. It's usually more like "because this team did this and then this higher-up decided this, but this editor was on vacation and our goals were changed mid-year, we're not running this story."
Complex answers are the most true answers you can get from a leader. And while painful, they are the best answers you can give. They embody transparency into the whole system, empathy for the distress, and belief that the other end will understand.
Context is complex.
I gave a very roundabout explanation of this, and what it has to do with my project, to my fellow fellows. I was a little worried that no one would understand my nonlinear thinking. But everyone got it because they are all smart, thoughtful leaders who are seeking to better journalism, not simplify it. And that's it, right there. You can make things better and easier to understand, without reducing them too much in the name of simplicity.
I am trying to embrace complexity, and think about how we can use the massive weight of technology and information we have to make it easier to digest, and more accepted.
***
This is not the most practical thing I've written for this newsletter. I'm still processing it, but I wanted to share with you and get feedback on what you think about complexity and its role in our world.
I hope to write more in the coming year, but no promises.
However, I will promise that next week, I'll email out my yearly planning workbook, which I know many people love.
Recommendations
Reading // Cooking // Buying // Watching //
Reading/
The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina was a gift from one of my former editors, who knows me too well. Magical realism, a strong female protagonist and a tiny bit of mystery. It was a delight to read.
Cooking/
I caught myself a winter cold and the only thing I wanted was soup. This lemon-y chickpea and orzo soup is a version of Greek Avgolemono, but vegetarian. You can probably sub any bean you've got lying around, or chicken if you want the meat version.
Buying/
Perhaps two weeks worth of research went into my 2024 planner. If you want all the links, hit reply, but this Aura Estelle weekly planner is the one I've ended up with.
Watching/
I am not the biggest animated series person, but Blue Eye Samurai is indeed one of the best shows I've watched this year. It has a feminist twist, but so many elements of classic anime and martial arts. Thank goodness, a second season is in the works!
Adorableness
