We Should Make Things Easier Without Making Them Emptier

Some of life’s most profound truths arrive in the simplest packages. Today’s Calvin and Hobbes comic serves as a perfect reminder that while we dream of flying high, it’s our connections to the ground that give life meaning and stability.

We should make things easier without making them emptier. Keep enough texture and constraint that convenience stays a gift—and gratitude stays alive. The side effects show up in attention, health, and community long before they hit the metrics.

I’m not arguing for unnecessary pain; I’m arguing for stewardship. Keep the edges that form us so the ease we build still feels like grace, not numbness.

This philosophy challenges our obsession with optimization at all costs. When every process is frictionless, every interaction instant, every desire fulfilled with a click—we risk losing something essential. The small delays, the required effort, the moments of waiting: these aren’t bugs to be eliminated, but features that create space for reflection, anticipation, and appreciation.

Calvin and Hobbes © Bill Watterson. Images used for commentary and educational purposes. Please support the official release on GoComics .