Why Complexity Makes Us Feel Unsafe and The Implications of Our Reactions

Introduction

In a world overwhelmed by information, emotions, and competing narratives, our minds seek simplicity to feel safe. This natural tendency, while protective, often limits our understanding and personal growth. This essay explores how complexity challenges us, how our brains respond to cognitive overload, and how embracing complexity is the true magic of transformation.

I read an article in a publication on how neuroscience explained magic. Magic tricks exploit cognitive biases, such as our brain’s tendency to oversimplify complex information.

Evolutionary psychologists assert that such biases evolved because they helped our ancestors survive by making fast decisions.

Magicians know that our brains unconsciously “see” only what we expect to see and not what we don’t expect to see. Thus, almost all magicians (and con artists) carefully set up our expectations to perceive only what they want us to perceive.

I get it, magicians use tricks to fool our filters into seeing what they want us to see. However, what the true magick is, is the magick of self-transformation and the seeming ability to manifest physical “general stuff” like most are hooked on prosperity from what I see, which could be money, cars, lovers, etc.

Do they attract these things to us, or do they program our minds to seek out, and notice opportunities we were not aware of before because we did not have enough interest in making it happen, or the ability to recognize that we can overpower our innate feelings of unworthiness?

Our unworthiness is pounded into us by religion, advertising, telling us all the things we need that distract us from our true goal.

The distractions are: Political intrigue and controversies, wars, global warming, and a myriad of other issues we are helpless to do anything about.

When our brain gets overloaded with concerns, when it is overloaded with negative concerns, it may shut down to cope with the stress. This phenomenon is known as emotional numbness and can result in cognitive overload, limiting our ability to process information.

If we are overwhelmed by more information than our brain can receive, we may develop frustration and detachment from the details our brain is processing.

How does our body react to overload? We may experience one or all of the following reactions: Paralysis, Anger, Passivity, and impaired understanding of reality.

1. Paralysis

Being unable to deal with a topic or issue because it’s more complex than we are able to manage. If we do not like something that is going on because sources we trust give us simplified narratives like “so and so did this because—” then they give us a reason like that person is a … and use any number of negative labels, like the news media does.

Then all the other news media and fact-checkers start repeating the same narrative over and over, tricking our brains into believing it. Frustration occurs when cognitive dissonance sets in because the real explanation does not jive with the narrative, so we default to the simplest explanation because that is what our brain does. It freezes.

The brain is attracted to the simplest explanation, which is exactly what Occam’s Razor reinforces. Occam’s Razor is a brainwashing tool that supports our feeling that the simplest explanation is the correct one because it relieves us of the obligation to think critically. It convinces us that the simplest explanation is the correct explanation. Yet, we all know that motivation is complicated, political dealings are complicated, emotions are complicated, the law is complicated, life, in general, is complicated — so how can the solution be simple? It can’t.

2. Anger

If information doesn’t fit with the way we think or feel, we may become angry at having our feelings or beliefs challenged. Repeated attempts to address a topic may lead to feelings of upset or anxiety..

When we are convinced something is true, particularly if we have been brainwashed, we get angry. Anger is a negative emotion when it causes us to fight against the explanation and start thinking of all the reasons why the complicated explanation is wrong, even if the explanation does not make sense.

Or we do see the validity of the complicated explanation, but do not want to give up the security of the simple explanation because we do not have to act on the complex issue. It relieves us of the responsibility to act productively, so we just sit and stew. And the more it is shoved in our face, the angrier and more irrational we get.

3. Passivity

We simply go along with others as a way of dealing with cognitive overload. Forming an opinion on a topic may feel overwhelming, while following someone else’s lead is the easiest way to cope. It relieves us of the responsibility of action when we agree to do something extreme because everyone else is doing it. There is safety in numbers.

4. Understanding

We may process information by relying on input from trusted sources, such as our health care team. Increasing our knowledge of a topic can be exciting when we are confident in the validity of the information.

When our brains become overloaded with negative concerns, they protect us through emotional numbness—a kind of cognitive freeze. The stress becomes too much, and our ability to process information breaks down. We lose the will to engage, becoming frustrated and detached.

And so, we shut down—or we immerse ourselves in activist groups or ideological movements, seeking safety in numbers rather than confronting the complexity itself. The more overwhelmed we are, the more we default to simple answers, because they make us feel safe.

Conclusion

Complexity demands more from us than simple explanations can satisfy. It requires courage to face uncertainty. The complexity of our world may feel overwhelming, but within it lies the opportunity for growth. True magick—the power of personal transformation and authentic manifestation—happens not by escaping complexity but by embracing it with curiosity and bravery.

When we acknowledge our feelings of overwhelm and learn to sit with uncertainty, we reclaim our power. We step out of paralysis, anger, and passivity into deeper understanding. This allows us to engage with life more fully and authentically.

“The wound is the place where the Light enters you.”

— Rumi