Complexity of information vs simplicity of experience

take everything

Just reading the "nature of knowledge" post there and it reminded me of a thought that sometimes crosses my mind.

I'm not even sure what i'm driving at hear so bear with me.

Sometimes say when i'm driving/on a train i look out the window and note the way the landscape passes me by.
And i think wow this particular experience (ie way the the changing landscape is being perfectly visualized by me) is all being governed by complex laws (i dunno what exactly they are tbh eg perspective, optics of the eyeball, neurophysiology of the brain etc etc) and i'm amazed at the complexity of it.

Then my mind focusses back again on just the "simple" experience (eschewing the endless layers of complexity above).
And you try to reconcile the "simple" easy nature of the experience and the complex, weighty nature of all the "understanding" that underpins it.
I guess the experience (in this case "seeing") (that we all take for granted) isn't simple at all.
Having said that you don't have to have PhDs in optics, neurophysiology etc to see (sight is basically a gift that doesn't require any further understanding to avail of it).

^I admit that is rambling but it's not easy to express.

Another example would be several snooker balls bounce around a table say.
Possibly a simpler version of the above because it's all reasonably understood physics.
But still if you were to sit down and work out the complexity involved you'd be dead from it- yet the actual event just happens "simply".

It's like the event/experience is inherently rich in intelligence and our attempts to understand the nuts and bolts events are so weighty and complicated.

It's just a musing really on trying to reconcile the two things- complete formal knowledge of an event vs "simple" direct experience.
Which leads me to wonder is there an easier way to formally understand things- or can you really only understand the reality of a passing landscape after reading a few books on the phenomenon?

Apologies if i don't make sense.
But you lot are an open-minded bunch so i trust i'll get a few answers here :pac::D

seensensee

How about the simplicity of information Vs the complexity of experience?

For example... making a bowl of fruit salad.
Information. The recipe tells you to get a bunch of listed fruit, peel, chop, segment, make syrup, combine, presto!

Experience. You must go to the market, check what's on offer, the variety, quality, consistency, then home to prepare each piece of fruit needs to be prepared in various ways. This can be done in different styles and the individual must chose to read up further or do the job by personal observation, at this stage there would be considerable critical thinking in play and potential for a diverse range of results...... eventually all the fruit is prepared and the syrup is made, cooled and poured, completed the individual places the fruit bowl inside the fridge on the bottom shelf as all the other shelves are full with other bowls of fruit salad;)upon closer inspection you see that they are all different and upon tasting some are clearly better than others.
what does that tell you?

Joe1919

There is a lot to be said for just siting back, relaxing and not thinking too deeply at times. For example, when enjoying a meal, why not just take in the experience of the meal, it settings, its surrending and the company that you enjoy.
Having a meal should be a pleasent aesthetic experience and there should be no need to worry about where the food comes from etc., at least during the meal.

lmaopml

You make perfect sense..! Cool post..:)

Isn't that exactly what philosophy tries to do in words etc. ...try to put physical 'experience' into words and explain the 'experience'...while rationalising and reconciling formal knowledge...?

The simple experience V knowledge of how it's physically 'had'...Cool! I think there are very many who sit on trains etc. and think those thoughts from moment to moment..and end up wondering if it's all physical and the mind or id is just a latent thing a 'spectator' playing it's part in an ever more physical complex way...

Complexity and simplicity...?

It seems that to go with the natural way is to 'enjoy' the experience without any thought......but it's cool to understand it's physical workings too..even if they never fully 'explain' experience in a satisfying and a subjective way....

Nice post!