# If people do not believe that mathematics is simple, it is only because they do not realize… by John von Neumann > "If people do not believe that mathematics is simple, it is only because they do not realize how complicated life is." > **— John von Neumann**, *Widely attributed; source verification pending* Verification Status: Unverified — exact wording/source has not yet been independently confirmed against a primary source; source clue: Widely attributed; source verification pending.