Life is unbelievably complex.

When people talk about ‘living well’ or ‘living a good life,’ what they’re essentially talking about is the ability to effectively navigate this complexity.

One approach many people take to navigating life’s complexity is to adopt one overarching principle or pattern of behavior and apply it to all situations.

For example, a common mental shortcut goes something like this:

“If I improve my external conditions, then I’ll be happier.”

The problem is that these types of narrow approaches only work up to a certain point. A particular strategy may be effective in one type of situation but ineffective—or even counterproductive—in another.

For example, improving your external conditions can solve certain material problems but does not address deeper spiritual needs.

My point is that in order to act effectively in a complex world, we must be able to employ multiple—and often opposing—strategies as the situation calls for it. This is the essence of being adaptable.

Likewise, in order to think effectively in a complex world, we must be able to hold multiple—and often competing—perspectives in our minds at once. This is the essence of nuance.

The broader your arsenal of strategies and mental models for navigating the world is, the clearer you will see things and the more adaptable you will become.

In short, living well is not about rigidly clinging to one single mode of being or way of thinking. It’s about applying the right strategy or perspective under the right circumstances.