Well, no. Complexity has an obvious price but simplicity does too. You have to work for simplicity, even fight for it. Think of code; it just somehow becomes more complex. You have to work to pare it back to what's needed.
I can't think ATM of better examples (and you deserve some), but no, simplicity does not come easy.
A nice phrase I came across: "elegance is refusal".
Until you find a good example, I challenge your understanding :)
Similar to my response to another comment, I suspect there is a switching of subjects. It starts with a problem, and the subject is a solution to the problem. Simpler solution is easier to understand and manage. A more complex solution is more difficult. Is there a counter example?
Try not to switch out the subject here. For example, one may propose to use a library to solve the problem by calling `library.solve`. And then one may argue that the simplicity of the code is actually more difficult to manage as one need trouble shoot all the details/bugs/interfaces with the library. We should recognize that the library itself is not the same as the solution. The solution includes the calling the library and its details/bugs/interfaces/packaging/updating/synchronizing etc. And these elements interwine to make the complexity. So the solution itself using the library is not necessarily simple. It is difficult exactly because of the complexity.
As you can tell, I am essentially making the same opinion as Rich Hickey, which is `simple-made-easy`. And it is very far away from the click-bate opening statement of "simple is often erroneously mistaken for easy". A more correct sentence probably should be "simple is often erroneously labeled by partial".
EDIT: To clarify, I am not saying a solution using a library is more complex. It depends. With a library, the solution is layered and delegated. The entire solution is more complex and more difficult to understand -- if one is to understand every byte of it. However, the layering means not all complexity need to be understood for practical reasons. So with proper layering and a good judgement of practicality, the part of the complexity that you practically need manage may well be simpler (and easier) by using a library, or not. It depends.
I don't deny your right to challenge, but tight now I can't give an example. I've just gone through months of my posts looking for one particular post that might clarify but I can't find it. Not being able to search your own comments is frustrating. I'll have a muse overnight.
Well, no. Complexity has an obvious price but simplicity does too. You have to work for simplicity, even fight for it. Think of code; it just somehow becomes more complex. You have to work to pare it back to what's needed.
I can't think ATM of better examples (and you deserve some), but no, simplicity does not come easy.
A nice phrase I came across: "elegance is refusal".