The joy of being a “simpleton”
I applied the last coat of colour to my nails and gushed at the sheer perfection. My toes looked positively edible painted in the duotone sheer pink colour I had just applied. I couldn’t have been more pleased! I stared at them, wiggling them from side to side for full effect. My friend laughed out loud. “You’re such a simpleton” she remarked. I laughed.
It’s been over a year since that statement was made but it’s stayed with me — probably because I was a little offended by it.
So, what does the word “simpleton” mean and am I indeed one?
sim·ple·ton
[ /ˈsimpəlt(ə)n/ ]
noun
:an ignorant, foolish, or silly person; a person lacking intelligence or common sense; a person who is stupid or easily deceived; fool
from: collinsdictionary.com
She was remarking on how simple minded I must be if something as inconsequential as nail colour could make me happy. A form of “friendly” shade, if such a thing exists. I chose to take it as a compliment, completely disregarding its implied derogatory meaning. So what if the little things make me happy.
The comment did leave me wondering however if being “too easily pleased or made happy” was a good or a bad thing. Does finding joy in the very littlest of things make one a simpleton? A year later, I have decided that it does not. In fact, I think we should all aspire to be simpletons and these are my reasons why:
Being a simpleton means that I experience happiness most days, often several times a day, when I least expect it. As a result I have become an eternally positive and optimistic person. As this daily positivity compounds so too does my general experience of joy in life.
Being a simpleton means that I can admit that I know nothing. This frees me from my ego and opens me up to all kinds of experiences and perspectives. When my intelligence or point of view is questioned, I’m not offended. I am after all a simpleton open to learning from others.
Being a simpleton means I laugh at myself. Often. When I make a mistake in action or judgement (like the other day when I boiled my lingerie in coffee causing the black dye to run and stain the skin coloured mesh, completely ruining it), I’m not very hard on myself. I don’t beat myself up or call myself names, or dwell on it. I remember that I am a simpleton bound to make mistakes I can learn from.
Being a simpleton means that I think simply. Without the capacity to overthink and overanalyze any situation or outcome, I am free from the over-complications of the mind that seem to cause so much undue stress. I distill complex problems into their simplest forms so I can process them and I come up with simple solutions that I can implement quickly and effectively so I can keep it moving in my simple life.
Being a simpleton means other people underestimate me which I always make sure to play to my advantage. There is something about being joyful in life that makes others think you’re inexperienced or naive. “Surely if you’ve truly lived life you’ll be just as jaded as we are.” I am a simpleton and I live knowing that my experiences don’t have to define me. Everyday is a new day to create and learn from experiences and then let them go.
Finally, a bonus of being a simpleton is in knowing that there is wisdom in foolishness. To paraphrase the famous actor, Ethan Hawke: to express yourself, you have to know yourself and to know yourself, “you have to be willing to play the fool.”
