--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: 1. Some people, Ranga, try to make things…" description: "\"“1. Some people, Ranga, try to make things too complicated. One thing is not complicated. Two things are complicated, but not very complicated. Three t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/479/ian-b-g-burns-42431_complicated_1-some-people-ranga-try-to-make-things-t_41753.jpg" --- # 1. Some people, Ranga, try to make things too complicated… ![“1. Some people, Ranga, try to make things too complicated. One thing is not complicated. Two things are complicated, but not very complicated. Three things are very complicated. We are very fortunate that cricket is not three things, but two things.” quote by Ian B.G. Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/479/ian-b-g-burns-42431_complicated_1-some-people-ranga-try-to-make-things-t_41753.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/479/ian-b-g-burns-42431_complicated_1-some-people-ranga-try-to-make-things-t_41753.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/479/ian-b-g-burns-42431_complicated_1-some-people-ranga-try-to-make-things-t_41753.jpg) > ““1. Some people, Ranga, try to make things too complicated. One thing is not complicated. Two things are complicated, but not very complicated. Three things are very complicated. We are very fortunate that cricket is not three things, but two things.”” [Ian B.G. Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-b-g-burns/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker critiques over‑analysis, noting that adding elements quickly complexity, but some domains (like cricket) remain relatively simple with just two core aspects. **In simple terms:** Complexity grows with added elements Key Takeaway Simplicity can be hidden by unnecessary detail Themes complexity simplicity analysis sports paradox Mood analytical light‑hearted ironic Type humorous observation aphoristic statement When to use this quote - team strategy meetings - project planning - software design - educational curricula - sports commentary Key Concepts complexity theory minimalism systems thinking sports dynamics Practical Applications - simplify decision‑making processes - focus on core components Questions to Reflect On - When does adding detail hinder understanding? - How can we identify the essential elements of a system? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Complicated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/complicated/) [Complicated Thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/complicated-thing-458200/) [Complicated things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/complicated-things/) [Ranga-plays-australia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ranga-plays-australia-154000/) [Thing Complicated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thing-complicated-458199/) [Things Complicated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things-complicated/) [Three things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/three-things/) ## Related quotes > [I think what we do is really, at times, a complicated thing. But at the end of the day it's so important that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bethany-cosentino/i-think-what-we-do-is-really-at-times-a-complicated-thing-but-at-the/) [Bethany Cosentino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bethany-cosentino/) > [In order not to cut out a large part of one's private life, the creative work should not swallow up every other form of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elena-ferrante/in-order-not-to-cut-out-a-large-part-of-one-s-private-life-the/) [Elena Ferrante](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elena-ferrante/) > [Language is a very complicated thing, and that's one of the reasons why I like making photographs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-opie/language-is-a-very-complicated-thing-and-that-s-one-of-the-reasons/) [Catherine Opie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-opie/) > [“A boy, Ranga, is tomorrow’s world the day after tomorrow.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-b-g-burns/a-boy-ranga-is-tomorrow-s-world-the-day-after-tomorrow/) [Ian B.G. Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-b-g-burns/) > [“Some people are like drums, Ranga. They are only heard when you strike them. Do not be like a drum, Ranga, be heard when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-b-g-burns/some-people-are-like-drums-ranga-they-are-only-heard-when-you-strike/) [Ian B.G. Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-b-g-burns/) > [“If it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, and looks like a duck, it is a very unfortunate situation for the batting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-b-g-burns/if-it-walks-like-a-duck-quacks-like-a-duck-and-looks-like-a-duck-it/) [Ian B.G. Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-b-g-burns/) > [“Think about the future, Ranga, but do not live in it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-b-g-burns/think-about-the-future-ranga-but-do-not-live-in-it/) [Ian B.G. Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-b-g-burns/) > [“Some people are like dogs, Ranga, with wagging tails. Whilst thou are happily watching their wagging tails they are happily biting thou with their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-b-g-burns/some-people-are-like-dogs-ranga-with-wagging-tails-whilst-thou-are/) [Ian B.G. Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-b-g-burns/) > [“Too simple? An idea cannot be too simple. Simple is sometimes great, indeed. The Mahatma had a simple idea, although the British did not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-b-g-burns/too-simple-an-idea-cannot-be-too-simple-simple-is-sometimes-great/) [Ian B.G. Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-b-g-burns/) > [“Thou asks, puttar, the purpose of life. This is a very large question indeed from one so young. It is a very quick question…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-b-g-burns/thou-asks-puttar-the-purpose-of-life-this-is-a-very-large-question/) [Ian B.G. Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-b-g-burns/) > [The essence of mathematics is not to make simple things complicated, but to make complicated things simple.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-essence-of-mathematics-is-not-to-make-simple-things-complicated/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“The essence of math is not to make simple things complicated, but to make complicated things simple.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-essence-of-math-is-not-to-make-simple-things-complicated-but-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I admire writers who can make complicated things simple, but my own talent has been to make simple things complicated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-barth/i-admire-writers-who-can-make-complicated-things-simple-but-my-own/) [John Barth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-barth/) > [The career has to support the making and can offer a platform, can offer you a voice in the world. And that's an incredible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zoe-leonard/the-career-has-to-support-the-making-and-can-offer-a-platform-can/) [Zoe Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zoe-leonard/) > [People always think that happiness is a faraway thing … something complicated and hard to get. Yet, what little things can make it up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betty-smith/people-always-think-that-happiness-is-a-faraway-thing-something/) [Betty Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betty-smith/) ## More by Ian B.G. Burns > [“Thou asks, puttar, the purpose of life. This is a very large question indeed from one so young. It is a very quick question…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-b-g-burns/thou-asks-puttar-the-purpose-of-life-this-is-a-very-large-question/) [Ian B.G. Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-b-g-burns/) > [“A boy, Ranga, is the light in his father’s eye and the love in his mother’s heart.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-b-g-burns/a-boy-ranga-is-the-light-in-his-father-s-eye-and-the-love-in-his/) [Ian B.G. Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-b-g-burns/) > [“Too simple? An idea cannot be too simple. Simple is sometimes great, indeed. The Mahatma had a simple idea, although the British did not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-b-g-burns/too-simple-an-idea-cannot-be-too-simple-simple-is-sometimes-great/) [Ian B.G. Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-b-g-burns/) > [“Some people are like dogs, Ranga, with wagging tails. Whilst thou are happily watching their wagging tails they are happily biting thou with their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-b-g-burns/some-people-are-like-dogs-ranga-with-wagging-tails-whilst-thou-are/) [Ian B.G. Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-b-g-burns/) > [“Think about the future, Ranga, but do not live in it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-b-g-burns/think-about-the-future-ranga-but-do-not-live-in-it/) [Ian B.G. Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-b-g-burns/) > [“If it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, and looks like a duck, it is a very unfortunate situation for the batting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-b-g-burns/if-it-walks-like-a-duck-quacks-like-a-duck-and-looks-like-a-duck-it/) [Ian B.G. Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-b-g-burns/) > [“Those English always say, "Look before thou leap". But, as is customary with the English, that is looking the wrong way. I say, Ranga,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-b-g-burns/those-english-always-say-look-before-thou-leap-but-as-is-customary/) [Ian B.G. Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-b-g-burns/) > [“Some people are like drums, Ranga. They are only heard when you strike them. Do not be like a drum, Ranga, be heard when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-b-g-burns/some-people-are-like-drums-ranga-they-are-only-heard-when-you-strike/) [Ian B.G. Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-b-g-burns/) > [“A boy, Ranga, is tomorrow’s world the day after tomorrow.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-b-g-burns/a-boy-ranga-is-tomorrow-s-world-the-day-after-tomorrow/) [Ian B.G. Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-b-g-burns/) [Explore all 10 Ian B.G. Burns quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-b-g-burns/) ## More Complicated quotes > [Of course I like you. It's because I like you I don't wanna be with you. It's a complicated emotion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlin/of-course-i-like-you-it-s-because-i-like-you-i-don-t-wanna-be-with/) [Marlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlin/) > [“Why the hell did he have to be so complicated? One minute he was charming, the next he withdrew behind his internal walls.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lia-davis/why-the-hell-did-he-have-to-be-so-complicated-one-minute-he-was/) [Lia Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lia-davis/) > [Life is more complicated than we think, yet far simpler than anyone dares to imagine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-durrell/life-is-more-complicated-than-we-think-yet-far-simpler-than-anyone/) [Lawrence Durrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-durrell/) > [I think adoption becomes complicated whenever the biological parents are alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-haven/i-think-adoption-becomes-complicated-whenever-the-biological-parents/) [James Haven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-haven/) > [We animals are the most complicated things in the known universe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/we-animals-are-the-most-complicated-things-in-the-known-universe/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [Programmers are always surrounded by complexity; we cannot avoid it… If our basic tool, the language in which we design and code our programs,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-hoare/programmers-are-always-surrounded-by-complexity-we-cannot-avoid-it-if/) [Tony Hoare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-hoare/) > [“Just because it's complicated, just because you think you can't ever know everything about another person, it doesn't mean you can't try.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-semple/just-because-it-s-complicated-just-because-you-think-you-can-t-ever/) [Maria Semple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-semple/) > [The one thing I absolutely hate about social media are the people who abuse it. Whenever I see a person who constantly posts negative…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jazmin-garcia/the-one-thing-i-absolutely-hate-about-social-media-are-the-people-who/) [Jazmin Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jazmin-garcia/) > [I think the ethics and morals of genetic engineering are very complicated. It intrigues me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-spottiswoode/i-think-the-ethics-and-morals-of-genetic-engineering-are-very/) [Roger Spottiswoode](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-spottiswoode/) > [Your Starbucks order is directly proportional to how complicated your personality is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin/your-starbucks-order-is-directly-proportional-to-how-complicated-your/) [Kevin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin/) > [Geometry, which should only obey Physics, when united with it sometimes commands it. If it happens that the question which we wish to examine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-le-rond-d-alembert/geometry-which-should-only-obey-physics-when-united-with-it-sometimes/) [Jean le Rond d'Alembert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-le-rond-d-alembert/) > [I have learned so much from my dad. Perhaps the biggest thing I've learned from my dad is how to be prepared at all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-sekulow/i-have-learned-so-much-from-my-dad-perhaps-the-biggest-thing-i-ve/) [Jay Sekulow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-sekulow/) > [The world is complicated and full of grays, but there's still truth there to be found.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-world-is-complicated-and-full-of-grays-but-there-s-still-truth/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [ The parts of the \[Civil Right\] Movement we recognize so well now were not born from a single decision, but were a complicated and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-aydin/the-parts-of-the-civil-right-movement-we-recognize-so-well-now-were/) [Andrew Aydin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-aydin/) > [Two people could build an outhouse in four hours. They're not complicated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-maxwell/two-people-could-build-an-outhouse-in-four-hours-they-re-not/) [Robert Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-maxwell/) [Browse all 3,190 Complicated quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/complicated/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“1.\tSome people, Ranga, try to make things too complicated. One thing is not complicated. Two things are complicated, but not very complicated. Three things are very complicated. We are very fortunate that cricket is not three things, but two things.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ian B.G. Burns" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-b-g-burns/1-some-people-ranga-try-to-make-things-too-complicated-one-thing-is/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Complicated" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-b-g-burns/1-some-people-ranga-try-to-make-things-too-complicated-one-thing-is/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/479/ian-b-g-burns-42431_complicated_1-some-people-ranga-try-to-make-things-t_41753.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/479/ian-b-g-burns-42431_complicated_1-some-people-ranga-try-to-make-things-t_41753.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/479/ian-b-g-burns-42431_complicated_1-some-people-ranga-try-to-make-things-t_41753.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“1. Some people, Ranga, try to make things too complicated. One thing is not complicated. Two things are…” — Ian B.G. Burns", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Ian B.G. Burns", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-b-g-burns/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“1. Some people, Ranga, try to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-b-g-burns/1-some-people-ranga-try-to-make-things-too-complicated-one-thing-is/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-b-g-burns/1-some-people-ranga-try-to-make-things-too-complicated-one-thing-is/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```