We live in a complicated world.
Although we may not like it, the evidence of this universal truth is everywhere. In today's society, everything is complicated, whether it is our careers, personal lives, or political opinions.
We are inundated with complex information every day, from evolving technologies to complicated relationships. News, information, and opinions are readily available at our fingertips. There are endless options for how, where, and from whom to get them. Wading through the sea of information can be exhausting.
Now, more than ever, learning to simplify complex systems is essential. The increasing complexity of our lives is taking a toll on our mental health, calendars, and personal and professional growth. Many obstacles stand in our way as self-learners on the road to knowledge.
Yet the thought of simplifying can feel overwhelming — the exact opposite of its intention.
Fortunately, a few simple techniques can help you tap into the power of simplicity. Here’s what you need to know about simplifying complexity, why the process is powerful, and how to implement a few strategies that will lead to clarity and success.
Humans have an innate attraction to simplicity. Societies have craved it throughout history, especially during difficult times. The Middle Ages had Occam's Razor and the mid-20th century military sealed it with a KISS ("keep it simple, stupid").
While these principles are still relevant today, they alone aren't enough for today's torrent of information. We need new perspectives and updated techniques to reclaim simplicity in our digital era.
Before we dive deeper, let's clarify two key terms: complexity and simplicity. According to the Cambridge Dictionary, complexity is "the state of having many parts and being difficult to understand or find an answer to." It defines simplicity as "the fact that something is easy to understand or do."
Essentially, complex things are hard to understand, and simple ones aren't. We have to simplify complicated information and circumstances to understand them.
You might wonder — if simplicity is natural to our nature and simplicity is easier to understand, why then do we complicate things to begin with?
It turns out that it's in our nature, too.
That is the conclusion of recent research published by several faculty members at the University of Virginia. During a series of observational studies, they found we have a natural tendency to overlook opportunities to improve things by subtracting and instead opt to add.
Try it yourself. How would you make the above image perfectly symmetrical? You can change colors in any square, but use the least amount of color changes possible.
The simplest explanation is to eliminate the block on the upper-left — change those orange squares to gray. But when researchers presented the image to hundreds of volunteers in a controlled experiment, about half of them added squares. Sure, they achieved symmetry, but it took more effort than necessary.
This illustrates why it’s essential to learn to simplify complexity. We have to work hard against our natural inclination to complicate things. Understanding the framework is a step closer to better framing our problems and solutions, improving our method of learning, and enhancing effectiveness.
But understanding isn’t enough. Simplifying complexity involves incorporating a host of techniques that extend beyond just learning.
Success in learning requires some planning and strategizing. This is true in most cases, whether it’s writers working on new topics or entrepreneurs introducing new ideas. Our minds complicate things when we search for answers, and we make things harder for ourselves.
However, with simple explanations, a few learning techniques, and belief in the learning process, we can increase our knowledge base and develop an understanding of the topic.
One of the best tools for simplifying complexity is the Feynman Technique. Developed by Nobel Prize-winning theoretical physicist Richard Feynman, also known as “the great explainer,” this technique makes perfect sense as an educational hack or for study techniques.
But aside from learning, it can help anyone break through a mental block and unlock solutions to problems they have been trying to solve.
The Feynman Technique centers on the ability to explain complicated subjects to others in simple terms. The four steps are:
By focusing intently on a single, solvable step at a time, the Feynman Technique works to simplify complex ideas. When you use this method of learning to break down a task into its simplest forms, your creativity becomes uninhibited and you gain both understanding of the topic and retention of the new concept.
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The Laws of Simplicity by John Maeda examines the meaning of simplicity and how to apply its underlying principles in everyday life. A graphic designer and professor at MIT, Maeda shares his theories on the laws governing simplicity, offering guidelines on using each law in real life.
Maeda’s 10 laws — each with important key points to keep in mind — are:
Maeda's laws reinforce the idea that simplifying complexity doesn't always mean increasing (like in the symmetry experiment). We’ll achieve simplicity when we understand and apply the mental model throughout our lives, from thinking to learning.
The Federal Plain Language Guidelines (FPLG) focus on language and writing to simplify communications. Created for government materials but usable by anyone, the FPLG is a set of guidelines used to develop public materials, like documents and websites, to help the reader better understand the material the first time they read it.
The guidelines are:
It's not always easy to write plainly, but it pays off in the end. Follow these guidelines to simplify your communication and improve your results.
In their book of the same name, Edward B. Burger and Michael Starbird outline five elements of effective thinking and why they are useful. The five elements are:
Burger’s and Starbird’s philosophy asserts that learning these strategies can lead to greater thinking capacity. The claim is that intelligent people aren't a unique breed — they just use different learning techniques. And we can, too.
Mark Twain wrote, “the difference between the almost right word and the right word is really a large matter — ‘tis the difference between the lightning-bug and the lightning.”
Twain was right — the right words, and thus the correct understanding of a subject, can help us in the pursuit of simplifying complexity. With plain language, a few techniques, discipline, and the willingness to learn, anything is possible.