The world is a beautiful complex place. Life itself is a complex dance of thousands of different movements. Within this movement, very little is random. While it may seem random, the forces that act on it be they nature, biological, emotional or whatever often transcend the human ability to codify everything. At the same time, while divinely complex, life can be as simplistic as action and reaction. Knowing that a particular thing will mark the beginning of a set of ripples allows us to forget the vagaries of biological action and to focus simply on the if then statement that is about to occur.
This is one of the paths that the sage may follow. By learning and understanding, eventually there is the moment of clarity that all knowledge pales compared to action. At this stage, it matters little the temperature, environment, and time necessary to change a pupae into a full-grown butterfly. The action is simply the butterfly rising from transformation, spreading its wings, and taking flight.
Further, this action becomes thoughtless, the embodiment of wei wu wei, action without action. The planets revolve around the earth, rain falls, the wind blows…all of these actions exist in a state of natural movement without thought. Zen Buddhism sees this as the body or spirit simply creating without thought. In both cases, the connection with the universe is seen.
Xiong Nai Xin Retreat 
Yes, complexity occurs when the number of steps in actions or thinking in order to enjoy life increases unnecessarily. Great post.