Originally Posted by 79pmooney

It's not that. To figure out 2 chainrings and 11 or 12 cogs requires skills like multiplication and division or at least recognition of the concepts. A 1X means just needing to be able to count to 12, a skill still taught in school and that most master.

And as at least one poster on this thread has pointed out, life is better the fewer skills needed and dexterity maneuvers required. (The ultimate bike will have wireless shifting, input from brain directly activating the shift. No tedious hand actions required.)