&gt;Really? The device you&#x27;re reading this on probably contains more complexity than it&#x27;s possible for one person to understand in a lifetime, and that&#x27;s one device.<p>It wouldn&#x27;t have been possible at all if the pieces that make it up weren&#x27;t loosely coupled.<p>&gt;It&#x27;s incredibly naive (or at best disingenuous) to assume that complex systems can be reduced by thinking and refactoring.<p>It&#x27;s naive to assume that you can&#x27;t. Loose coupling pretty much only comes as a result of extensive refactoring.