--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: History as well as life itself is…" description: "\"History as well as life itself is complicated -- neither life nor history is an enterprise for those who seek simplicity and consistency.\" — Jared Diamond" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/932/jared-diamond-2519_business_history-as-well-as-life-itself-is-compli_2943042.png" --- # History as well as life itself is complicated -- neither… ![“History as well as life itself is complicated -- neither life nor history is an enterprise for those who seek simplicity and consistency.” quote by Jared Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/932/jared-diamond-2519_business_history-as-well-as-life-itself-is-compli_2943042.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/932/jared-diamond-2519_business_history-as-well-as-life-itself-is-compli_2943042.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/932/jared-diamond-2519_business_history-as-well-as-life-itself-is-compli_2943042.png) > “History as well as life itself is complicated -- neither life nor history is an enterprise for those who seek simplicity and consistency.” [Jared Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-diamond/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote asserts that both history and life are inherently complex, resisting attempts to simplify or make them consistent. **In simple terms:** History and life are complex, not simple. Key Takeaway Embrace complexity. Themes history philosophy complexity human experience Mood thoughtful serious Type philosophical reflective When to use this quote - academic research - personal decision‑making - policy design - education Key Concepts systems theory epistemology Questions to Reflect On - Why do we seek simplicity? - How can we handle complexity better? A Different Perspective Oversimplification can lead to misunderstanding and poor decisions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) [Complicated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/complicated/) [Complicated life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/complicated-life/) [Consistency](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consistency/) [Enterprise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enterprise/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [History Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history-life-672169/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life Complicated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-complicated/) [Life itself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-itself/) [Seek Simplicity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/seek-simplicity-307297/) [Simplicity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/simplicity/) [Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wells/) ## Related quotes > [“...neither life nor history is an enterprise for those who seek simplicity and consistency.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-diamond/neither-life-nor-history-is-an-enterprise-for-those-who-seek/) [Jared Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-diamond/) > [Remember one thing in life that worrying unnecessarly will only make your life more complicated and bitter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anurag-prakash-ray/remember-one-thing-in-life-that-worrying-unnecessarly-will-only-make/) [Anurag Prakash Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anurag-prakash-ray/) > [Life is very complicated.. When you are simple, people try to CHEAT you; When you cheat others, people call you SMART!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/life-is-very-complicated-when-you-are-simple-people-try-to-cheat-you/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [Life is too complicated don't try to find the answers of every question, because till you find the answer life changes it's question.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/life-is-too-complicated-don-t-try-to-find-the-answers-of-every-2/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [Why is life so complicated? You tell the truth, you get in trouble. You lie, you get in trouble. What do you do?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu/why-is-life-so-complicated-you-tell-the-truth-you-get-in-trouble-you/) [Ritu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu/) > [Love makes life so complicated...But I wouldn't really want to live without it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/love-makes-life-so-complicated-but-i-wouldn-t-really-want-to-live/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Life is not complicated,but taking wrong decisions make simple life complex.Think before you act.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhishek-tiwari/life-is-not-complicated-but-taking-wrong-decisions-make-simple-life/) [Abhishek Tiwari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhishek-tiwari/) > [Life is a struggle because of sin; a spiritual battle between good vs. evil. life is a complicated process itself. for every action there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/london-mond/life-is-a-struggle-because-of-sin-a-spiritual-battle-between-good-vs/) [London Mond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/london-mond/) > [Life is too complicated, don't try to find the answers of every question, because until you find the answer, life changes its questions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-too-complicated-don-t-try-to-find-the-answers-of-every/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [LIFE..is very complicated. Don't try to find the ANSWER Because when You find answers LIFE changes The question](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-very-complicated-don-t-try-to-find-the-answer-because-when/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Life is not complicated we make it It's your choice to cry for it or fight for it :)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jraj/life-is-not-complicated-we-make-it-it-s-your-choice-to-cry-for-it-or/) [Jraj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jraj/) > [The aim of science is to seek the simplest explanation of complex facts... Seek simplicity and distrust it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-north-whitehead/the-aim-of-science-is-to-seek-the-simplest-explanation-of-complex/) [Alfred North Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-north-whitehead/) > [“The aim of science is to seek the simplest explanations of complex facts. We are apt to fall into the error of thinking that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-north-whitehead/the-aim-of-science-is-to-seek-the-simplest-explanations-of-complex/) [Alfred North Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-north-whitehead/) > [All the truly deep people have at the core of their being the genius to be simple or to know how to seek simplicity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-e-marty/all-the-truly-deep-people-have-at-the-core-of-their-being-the-genius/) [Martin E. Marty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-e-marty/) > [Seek simplicity but distrust it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-north-whitehead/seek-simplicity-but-distrust-it/) [Alfred North Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-north-whitehead/) ## More by Jared Diamond > [Bird taxonomy is a difficult field because of the severe anatomical constraints imposed by flight. There are only so many ways to design a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-diamond/bird-taxonomy-is-a-difficult-field-because-of-the-severe-anatomical/) [Jared Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-diamond/) > [What did the last Easter Islander say as he chopped down the last tree? The Easter Islanders didnt have anthropologists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-diamond/what-did-the-last-easter-islander-say-as-he-chopped-down-the-last/) [Jared Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-diamond/) > [“We come to conquer this land by his command, that all may come to a knowledge of God and of His Holy Catholic Faith;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-diamond/we-come-to-conquer-this-land-by-his-command-that-all-may-come-to-a/) [Jared Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-diamond/) > [“With the rise of chiefdoms around 7,500 years ago, people had to learn, for the first time in history, how to encounter strangers regularly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-diamond/with-the-rise-of-chiefdoms-around-7-500-years-ago-people-had-to-learn/) [Jared Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-diamond/) > [Human societies vary in lots of independent factors affecting their openness to innovation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-diamond/human-societies-vary-in-lots-of-independent-factors-affecting-their/) [Jared Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-diamond/) > [No government is here forever. 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It was in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-diamond/i-decided-that-now-is-the-time-to-start-doing-the-things-that-really/) [Jared Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-diamond/) > [“As a result of that confined distribution, peoples who pride themselves on being civilized have always viewed writing as the sharpest distinction raising them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-diamond/as-a-result-of-that-confined-distribution-peoples-who-pride/) [Jared Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-diamond/) > [Infectious diseases introduced with Europeans, like smallpox and measles, spread from one Indian tribe to another, far in advance of Europeans themselves, and killed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-diamond/infectious-diseases-introduced-with-europeans-like-smallpox-and/) [Jared Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-diamond/) > [In fact, everywhere in the world there has been a flux between big and small societies. Big political units are constantly being formed, later…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-diamond/in-fact-everywhere-in-the-world-there-has-been-a-flux-between-big-and/) [Jared Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-diamond/) [Explore all 161 Jared Diamond quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-diamond/) ## More Business quotes > [Companies with cultures that celebrate diverse opinions and encourage the exchange of ideas have an advantage when solving difficult problems. 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