If it's simple, it ain't necessarily easy.

I hit this statement while reading a book, and it rightly left an impression, not because of the choice of words, but because it reveals a misconception. Most of us aren't impressed if they are told that the work at hand is simple. They perceive that if something is simple, it has to be easy. Right? Wrong!

A task by itself is neither easy nor difficult. But yes, it may be simple. And that is defined by the perception. The Indian cricket team winning the world-cup is a simple task, but definitely not easy (bet?). And then this effort is simple from the perspective of the fans in India, but definitely not from the perspective of the guys who play on the field.

If we are told that something is simple, we should quickly set our perspective correctly. And then realize that the task is simple from the perspective of the person saying, not necessarily from ours. Further, if the task is simple, it need not necessarily be easy. It may be difficult to implement, but simple to comprehend :-).

Happy Simplifying!