13. Simplicity vs Complexity

Exams are around the corner, assignments and tutorials due before the semester ends, and so many other factors that make life difficult. Sometimes, it seems that there is no end to it all, and all you can think of is whether you would live to see the dawn of the next day. As we grow older, more responsibilities and expectations are bombarded at our direction, and to top it off with a ‘cherry’, the bar is raised even higher for us. We live in a competitive society which revolves around achievements, and hoping to leave a legacy that would not stamp any regrets in your life as you lie on your deathbed. Sometimes I wonder if life could just be more merciful. Maybe if life would be simpler, or if I could just be something else, like a bird for example. Free from the worries of the world, all it needs to do is probably wake up, fly, find food, fly, do bird stuff, and sleep. Pretty simple, I thought initially. As I pondered about the idea that if I was brought into this world as a less complex organism (I shall use a bird as my example) instead of a human, some interesting thoughts and scenarios came up.

Well, to start it off, a bird’s life is relatively simple. All it needs to worry about is to find food and probably a mate during mating season, and maybe watch out for predators 24/7. It has the whole day to just fly around, chill out in its favourite branch, and explore the area without the hassle of traffic jams and the slow speed of walking. Occasionally for fun it can pretend to be a bomber airplane and release its load on a passerby down below. No worries about studies, career, personal possessions, etc. Typical simplicity compared to the life of a human. Then I looked at the downside of being a bird. For food, its staple diet revolves around worms, bugs, grain either tossed by the kind elderly in the park, or some bread crumbs or potato chips that it might just find outside McDonalds or Burger King (Hungry Jacks in Aus). Those fast foods and grain may taste decent, but I doubt that bugs and worms are a delight to the taste buds. The life span of birds on average would probably be a few years old, depending on the species. Pretty short time to explore such a vast world. Then there’s also the case of health issues. One case of bird flu and the whole population of birds in a country, if not the whole world becomes doomed. With such low intelligence, I doubt that birds can come up with a medication, or even create a group of specialists to eradicate the virus strain. Its best form of survival is just to wait it up and hopefully due to evolution and gene mutation a gene that provides immunity will be produced, but then again the mutation can also happen to the virus strain. Then what about the lifestyle of a bird? Sure, it’s pretty simple, but what’s it supposed to do every day? Sit around and just watch humans and other animals live their life? What about entertainment? I can’t imagine a flock of birds perched on a big tree talking about life. It’s like “Yo, what’s up man? How’s life?” “Well, I just flew around out of town for a few days, you know, to explore. And you?” “Oh, I just got my feathers groomed. Don’t they look beautiful?” or birds telling lame jokes. One bird chirps, and after the joke has been told, you hear a mass of chirps. Well, they could go ‘kap lui’ or ‘see girls’. Here’s a lame conversation that evolved in my mind as I thought of it:

Bird 1: “Hey, let’s fly over to Princes Park and try to pick up some chicks. I heard from Birdie that they look pretty hot!”

Bird 2: “You pedophile!”

Life as a human can be pretty complex at times, yet there are the fine things we can enjoy that other animals cannot. We have so many styles of preparing food. Coupled with the spices and flavorings available at our disposal, and the advanced cooking equipment, we can practically give our taste buds an orgasm. Since we’re on top of the food chain, we have a vast array of vegetation and meat to satisfy ourselves. Having a conscious mind and able to think rationally and analytically separates us from other animals. We are able to pave our own future by pursuing what we feel passionate about. Having such brainpower and IQ, we can delve into the mysteries of this world, whether it is related to arts or science. The universe has been pieced together in such a way that it’s complexity cannot be fathomed, and even now what we know about the universe is just a glimpse of how much more we still do not understand. How the geographical landscape, the interactions of molecules, the interactions of billions of cells to form a system that works harmoniously to create a living being, the conditions of Earth and cosmology variables that are so delicate and fine-tuned to such a degree that needs to be extremely precise in order to create a habitable planet to sustain life – these are just some of the systems that reveal how mind-blasting the universe is maintained and governed by such intricate laws. Humans have also invented many ways to entertain themselves. From playing sports to creating media like television shows, or playing DotA even though players are thousand of miles apart from each other, or even just gathering together and chatting late at night in the mamak stall while savoring the delight of Maggi Goreng with Milo Ais or Teh Tarik. And don’t forget the lame jokes that elite lamers (e.g. MC-ians) can think of.

Life is inevitable for each and every one of us. Some are more well-to-do in terms of financial or environmental aspects, while some are faced with more challenging scenarios. With life comes both pros and cons. We cannot just take part of the package, though wishful thinking seems to point in the direction. Whether we try to play hide-and-seek or catch-me-if-you-can, eventually we still have to face up with life. Obstacles are meant for us to be overcome and to test our limits. Like fire refining metal to remove impurities, challenges may give us adrenaline rushes, but the main point is to shape our personality to become a better and more adapted person in society. Sometimes we feel that too much is laden on our shoulders, and we just want to get away from it all. We try to multitask and overclock ourselves, but there comes a time when we need to deal with things one at a time, like eating your food in small portions instead of trying to shove everything down the esophagus in one go.