Abstraction means simplifying reality.
We use it constantly.
You drive a car without understanding combustion, torque, or electronics. You only need the interface: steering, pedals, signals.
That’s abstraction in action.
It’s a fundamental concept in
- Programming: hiding complexity behind functions and APIs
- Philosophy: generalizing patterns from messy experiences
- Language: turning raw experiences into words and concepts
Why do we simplify reality?
Because raw reality is unusable.
Abstraction makes communication possible. It compresses complexity into shareable ideas. By doing this, we save time, energy, and mental space.
Imagine a world where every conversation required explaining first principles from scratch.