ABSTRACT
We live in a universe of complexity. By our very human nature, and through the use of language, we impose limitations on that complexity. The reduction of complexity has been a key element in classical Western thought from Kepler and Galileo to the present, yielding great scientific advancements; we suggest, however, that in our current diversified, globalized, technologically oriented era, reduction as a habit of thought is no longer as useful as it once was. In our view, complexity theory encourages us to recognize the limitations of human thought and also enables us to acknowledge unseen possibilities, inherent in any situation, as creative potential. Shifting one’s attitude from “reducing” complexity to “embracing” what is always already present in relations and interactions may lead to thinking complexly, abiding happily with mystery.
