Simplicity Part 2

August 5, 2026

Simplicity is precious because it calls us back to the uncluttered place within —the place before everything became so tangled, before our minds became crowded, before our hearts became guarded, before we mistook complication for wisdom.

This may be why so many of us long for rest, retreat, and renewal. When we imagine a peaceful getaway, what do we hope for? Fewer demands. A quiet environment. Time to breathe. Nourishing food. Rest for the body. Care for the soul. Space without hurry—a day without headaches, pressures, or difficulties.

In other words, we long for simplicity. We long for the return of clarity. We long for the innocence of being fully present. We long for not having to constantly strive, and to constantly be on the defensive.

Simplicity does not mean that life becomes easy. It does not mean we abandon responsibility or deny complexity. Rather, simplicity helps us see what matters most amid complexity. It clears away what is excessive, unnecessary, contradictory, and false. It brings us back to the essential.

Oscar Ichazo is the originator of the Enneagram of Personality, the Enneagram of Virtues and 106 other spiritual enneagrams. On the Enneagram of Virtues, his name for the virtue of point Eight is Innocence. Innocence means the purity of intention and action— the same innocence of the soul child.

The Jesuits in this country who first wrote about the spiritual truths of the Enneagram used the word “Simplicity” for the virtue of Type Eight. Just think of the beautiful connection between Innocence and Simplicity. Real innocence is not shallow or naïve— it is pure, clear, emotionally unencumbered, and unobscured. True innocence reflects the innocence of the soul child who sees life in its simplicity— the soul’s unvarnished ability to stand in the world without needing to dominate, defend, exaggerate, or complicate. It is the freedom to be clear. It is the courage to be unguarded. It is the grace of being at home in what is real.

The simple life is not a life without substance; it is a life that is full of what matters most. 

When mired in the complications of the multilayered demands placed on me, I have two choices. I can burrow deeper in the complications— the TV that has lost its signal, the computer that does not connect to the printer, my indigestion, the dogs who need a walk, and the mosquito man knocking at the front door. Or I can take a deep breath and say to myself, “What is simply the first thing that needs to be done?” Trying to do it all at the same time is not an act of innocence, but is frenzied action run by time demands rather than the purity of mindfulness.

Spiritual Practice and Inquiry

If you were to simplify your life, what would you extract from it and what would you keep? How does this relate to innocence?

Prayer

Dear God, give us the eyes and ears to know what truly matters.

Amen