Why simple ideas work best
“Why does everything have to be so complicated?”
There’s a saying in the Army that ‘complicated gets you killed’.
Whilst this viewpoint is extreme in the context of coming up with ideas, the core message is the same: simple is better.
So why do we often think that our ideas need to sound sophisticated to be of value?
Part of the reason is that simple ideas can seem so obvious or straightforward that we struggle to accept that they haven’t been tried before.
We also make the mistake of assuming complex ideas must be better because coming up with them takes effort.
In reality, the opposite is true.
Developing ideas is easy, but making them simple is a challenge.
Nevertheless, it’s a worthwhile endeavour because avoiding complexity has many advantages.
Simple ideas are easier to execute
An idea that remains a sketch in a notepad has no value.
In other words, it is only valuable once you execute it.
Simple ideas are easier to make a reality because they require fewer resources.
They also have fewer parts, which increases their odds of becoming a reality.
Simple ideas are more likely to be remembered
The longer it takes to explain something, the less likely it is to be fully understood.
Simple ideas require fewer words and images to get across.
Interestingly, this also has a positive effect on their believability.
This is because the plausibility of information depends on how easy it is to read. The harder something is to read, the less likely it is to be believed.
Simple ideas are straightforward to communicate
The longer it takes to explain something, the less likely it is to be fully understood.
Simple ideas require fewer words and images to get across.
Interestingly, this also has a positive effect on their believability.
This is because the plausibility of information depends on how easy it is to read. The harder something is to read, the less likely it is to be believed.
Simple ideas are less likely to go wrong
Once your simple idea is up and running, it is less likely to go wrong.
This is because it will have fewer potential points of failure.
Therefore, you will spend less time fixing issues, requiring less maintenance over time.
Yay!
Simple ideas are more likely to last
For the reasons above, simple ideas are more likely to stand the test of time.
Just think of some of the longest-standing ideas, like money, books, and democracy—they’re all delightfully simple.
To conclude, simple is best
Simplicity isn’t just something you should aspire to when it comes to generating ideas; it also works wonders in other dimensions of life.
As a philosophical approach, it makes everything easier, faster, and more enjoyable.
It’s a win-win-win situation.
