Becoming A Simple Man
The Field Review: TFR-032
A simple man.
A label that often gets thrown around as a compliment wrapped in an opaque veil of condescension. This might be because many people mistake simplicity for settling, or worse, lacking.
But they’d be wrong.
A simple man isn’t simple because he’s empty. He’s simple because he’s full, and knows exactly what’s worth holding onto.
At my wedding, I danced with my mom to the song Simple Man (yes, the Lynyrd Skynyrd version). I chose that song specifically because to me, it has always felt like a secret guide, a blueprint for the kind of life I’ve wanted to live:
Oh, take your time, don't live too fast
Troubles will come and they will pass
You'll find a woman, yeah, and you'll find love
And don't forget son there is someone up aboveForget your lust for the rich man's gold
All that you need is in your soulBoy, don't you worry, you'll find yourself
Follow your heart and nothing elseOh, be something you love and understand
Baby, be a simple kind of man
But like all worthwhile wisdom, it seems straightforward until you try living it.
Being simple isn’t the same as being easygoing, and it’s not about coasting through life without goals.
Being simple takes work.
It’s Hard to Be Simple
I’m still in my 20s, with ambition that burns like a fire I’m not ready to put out. My goals still stretch farther than I can see, and I’ve built much of my daily schedule around chasing them. My calendar is already full, the to-do list is double sided, and still, I catch myself adding more.
I find it hard to take my time when it feels like there’s never enough of it.
But with each passing day, simplicity climbs higher on my list of values. Not because I want less, but because I want more. More time with my wife. More room for the things that matter. More clarity in what I’m chasing and why.
It wasn’t one single moment that brought me to the nirvana of simplicity. It was a series of small realizations. The first came when I noticed how quickly time slips through your fingers, no matter how tightly you try to hold on.
The second was when ambition began to feel more like obligation. When the goals I set for myself started owning me instead of the other way around.
And that’s when I realized that none of it matters if you lose sight of what’s important.
Simplicity isn’t the absence of ambition. It’s ambition stripped down to its core. It’s knowing what’s worth chasing, and more importantly, what isn’t.
“Listen Closely to What I Say”
A simple man doesn’t waste time trying to be everything to everyone.
He doesn’t need to impress strangers or keep up appearances for show. He knows his values, and he moves through the world using them as his compass.
For me, it’s about prioritizing the small, overlapping circle of family and friends who make my life worthwhile.
It also means finding joy in the mundane. The laughter at the dinner table, the hum of a good conversation, the stillness of a morning spent waiting in the woods.
Prioritization of values also helps you understand the kind of man you don’t want to be.
The Matter of a Simple Man
The most dangerous man isn’t the one who knows too much.
It’s the one who knows everything without understanding anything. The one who has read every book but has never picked up a tool, and tells you how to work without ever having had his hands dirty.
This man is dangerous because he’s disconnected—from reality, from people, and from life itself.
And then there’s the man who thinks he’s seen it all, done it all, and knows it all. He’s less dangerous than he believes because what he doesn’t know is that the world has already left him behind. The moment you stop learning, the moment you think you’ve arrived, life moves on without you.
The simple man strikes a balance.
He reads to understand the world but gets his hands dirty to understand himself. He values knowledge, but he doesn’t confuse it with wisdom.
A simple man knows what matters most isn’t how much you know, but how you live with what you know.
Living Intentionally
Living as a simple man in today’s world is its own kind of rebellion. Against conformity. Against complacency. Against the artificial.
The simple man doesn’t play catch-up or chase someone else’s goals.
He doesn’t confuse being busy with being successful.
He knows you don’t need to do it all to have it all. And that you don’t need to chase the world to find yourself.
If being a simple man is about anything, it’s about clarity. It’s about knowing where you stand and what you stand for. Knowing who you’re showing up for, and what you want to leave behind when you’re six feet deep.
It’s not about doing more, it’s about doing right. And if there is a legacy worth leaving, maybe that’s it.
Not who you tried to impress, but who you showed up for.
Not how much you had, but how much you valued.
Not how much you chased, but how much you chose.
That’s the life of a simple man. That’s the life I’m trying to live.
But I’m not there. Yet.
From My Desk:
What I’m Thinking About: My Cleveland Browns (3-10) play the Kansas City Chiefs (12-1) this afternoon. From the outside, this looks like a impending beatdown. But, if anyone is going to knock off this Goliath, it might just be Cleveland. (This is the reason why I don’t bet on sports, I would always pick the underdog).
What I’m Doing: The stockings have been hung by the chimney with care, the tree has been watered, and the snow is starting to dust. Christmas is in view and we’re ready for it.
On Deck for Monday: This week is my last full work week of 2024. Five days left to put the finishing touches on the three hundred and sixty-five day strategies that will inevitably get changed on day ONE of 2025. Like the ones before it, this year went by quicker than anticipated.
From The Field Review Archives:
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Venture Onward,
Jack
Realize that this is a bit older, but I really enjoyed this. Thanks for the read.
Cheers!
This is one of the best essays I’ve read in awhile. As a 61yo man with two young sons (33, 29), these words embody what I’ve tried to share with them as they go about their life journey. Thank you for sharing these words of wisdom.