ABSTRACT

From my experiences in the U.S. as an immigrant, business executive, and entrepreneur, I have observed many patterns in our beautiful country. One of them is what I call our love affair with complexity. We appear to have a profound inclination to do things in a more complicated way than other countries. Our love of complexity starts with some of our favorite pastimes – baseball and football. The rest of the world follows soccer, in great numbers: one billion people watch a World Cup final. Explaining the rules of soccer is much simpler than explaining American football: what constitutes a catch? What is the “tuck rule”? This intricacy is part of what Americans find fun about sports – it is what provides fodder for analysis and debate. Though harmless in sports, complexity can bring adverse consequences in other areas, such as for our health or our financial security. In sports, officials know the rules in all of their detail and make the required decisions. But in health care, energy, finance, and taxes, we have to make the choices, often with a less than full understanding of their consequences.