Is Simplicity An Asset or Liability? It Depends On This.

Simplicity. A predictable but effective way of doing things. Simplicity removes the noise from a crowded, busy world and focuses on meaningful signals.

However, simplicity is not the ultimate solution to everything. There's a fine line between an excellent choice and a boring default. When does simplicity become an excuse not to try, stay in our comfort zones, or cater to boredom?

First, let's acknowledge the benefits of simplicity that make it an attractive choice. We'll analyze when simplicity works and where it falls short. Finally, we'll look at how to inject meaningful complexity into our lives to spice them up and make them more exciting.

The Beauty In Simplicity

Much like anything else, simplicity has its place when it works well. For example, we know that hosting convoluted family parties is stressful and filled with unnecessary drama. Uncovering better ways to hold simple parties increases our return on investment for our efforts.

In fact, new experiences that utilize simplicity are more approachable for those who may otherwise fear them. 

For example, if a new piano student attempts to play a concerto head-on, they will likely be overwhelmed. The jungle of sheet music in front of them, multiplied by the pressure to perform, is a recipe for disaster. Instead, if the student breaks down the piece into simple building blocks, such as scales, intervals, and rhythms, they can master the concerto more effectively.

No athlete steps on the basketball court and dominates it. Serious aspiring athletes focus on simple techniques such as dribbling, foul shots, and three-pointers. Little by little, they integrate the game's building blocks into their psyche, which becomes second nature and entirely at their disposal as they compete on the court.

The most common and effective photos use simple composition. This is especially true for product and portrait photography. The subject stands out more because of the negative space, which draws the eye toward it.

Many disciplines, industries, and lifestyle choices benefit from simple approaches. It begs the question: when does it backfire on us?

When Simplicity Backfires

As said before, simplicity has its place. Wise applications of simplicity make our quality of life more approachable and meaningful, countering an overloaded life. Simplicity also gives us the greatest control over situations when it's available to us.

However, simplicity can only take us so far. The real explorations begin when we transition from simple to complex approaches to our craft. However, many people fail to push beyond that threshold out of fear.

From personal experience, I've noticed that some people choke up and default to simplicity as a comfort move. While less risky, overusing simplicity has its drawbacks that are often overlooked.

So it begs the question, when does simplicity become a liability and backfire on us? There may be some telltale signs to look out for, including but not limited to:

The Leader In Charge Has A Low Lid On Their Potential

Good leaders surround themselves with skilled artisans who contribute to the picture. When leaders select the right people to be around them and allow them to shine, the results are spectacular and worthy of a standing ovation. As a result, people feel more drawn to watch and contribute.

In an ideal world, everyone would contribute their talents effectively. However, not everybody has the luxury of working under great leaders. Sometimes, these poor leaders (more like dictators) become offended when their followers outshine them, whether intentionally or not.

Instead of praising them, dictators gaslight and reprimand their followers for adding value. Consequentially, their followers dull their ambitions and stop giving their best work. Resentment overshadows and replaces inspiration as resentment grows until it reaches an unsustainable threshold.

At the tipping point, resentful followers rebel by causing internal sabotage, starting a competitive operation, or, in rare cases, outright confronting and crushing the dictator. The friction undermines the project's direction, and interest from contributors and watchers begins to wane into nothingness.

In all cases, it never ends well when ambitious contributors work for an insecure leader.

People Yearn For More

There's something to be said for using simplicity wisely.

But that's the thing – it must be used wisely. It cannot be the default choice day after day. The less is more mindset only works so often until it doesn't.

People acclimate and become dull to simple and boring events. Their bodies may be present, but their minds wander to exciting things beyond their current environment.

If there's a principle to live by, it's that variety is the spice of life that keeps us on our toes.

When we find ourselves in dull situations, we must spice them up again. Otherwise, our experiences become a traditional collection of mindless husks rather than an engaged community that feels inspired to contribute.

Simplicity Is An Excuse To Avoid Meaningful Risks

Our comfort zones constantly lull us into becoming complacent and satisfied with the status quo. We know we won't wow anyone using this type of simplicity, but we're more afraid of slipping up, making mistakes, or failing because of our fear of risks.

People understand the true value of risk-taking more than ever before. Our culture swims in a sea of stories about the lavish rewards of taking risks, such as starting a business, winning the girl, receiving a GRAMMY, and much more. 

People on their deathbeds never say, "Gosh, I wish I had played it safer, more comfortably, more simply…"

They wish they had taken more risks to make their last moments more reflective.

To take risks, we must build skills. Building skills requires us to admit we're deficient in some way. Recognizing where we're deficient requires admitting we're not perfect. But then again, who is?

The good news is that we won't stay deficient forever if we take the right risks. We will build past it and reflect on how far we've come. Staying in our comfort zones and defaulting to simplicity because we're unwilling to take risks is nearly inexcusable when so many success stories exist.

The Competition Harnesses Complexity To Their Advantage

The greatest problem with simplicity is when the competition leverages complexity against us. Introducing complexity isn't necessarily a guaranteed competitive advantage, but someone who uses it wisely will become a commendable threat.

Artists know when to use complexity advantageously to communicate a different message that invokes new emotions. They don't need to pour all the colors onto the canvas to accomplish that. Instead, they are methodical about the complexity element displayed in their work.

An accent here, some different textures there, and changing the colors in a few areas are enough to give the picture its unique definition. All of these additions add to the complexity of the image.

If organizations refuse to step outside their comfort zones, two types of driving forces—internal and external—will work against them.

Internal friction occurs when an organization's more ambitious members revolt. Boredom and complacency are enemies of risk-takers, and they will do whatever it takes to feel alive again. Additionally, they may leave the organization to join a more exciting and dynamic team.

Then, there are external driving forces. When the competition takes meaningful risks and harnesses complexity well, it develops a new competitive advantage that's difficult to replicate. Their new marketing messages will bash the competition as one-trick ponies who cannot see beyond the immediate while creating an exciting aura around their product or service.

Injecting Complexity Into Our Lives

Let's start with one premise—complexity does not mean unpredictable and wildly flailing around randomly. That's chaotic, and chaos is rarely useful.

Complexity requires orchestration, rationality, and connecting the dots uniquely and compellingly. It requires us to analyze what's happening at a deeper level while keeping it approachable to those who want to understand it and leaving the rest in awe.

The good news is that if we can become comfortable with simplicity, we can also become comfortable with complexity. It's like riding a bicycle—the more we do it, the better we will naturally become with it over time.

We don't need to add dozens or hundreds of items simultaneously to inject complexity into our endeavors. Here are some easygoing ways to evolve our craft and become better with complexity:

Add New Elements Subtly To The Picture

Injecting complexity wisely requires time and patience through trial and error. Even the most imaginative or experienced people do not become connoisseurs at utilizing complex dynamics at first. Therefore, there's no need to hold ourselves to high standards or try to make everything work right out of the gate.

The best way to start is to find something small and throw it in the mix. Some subtle complexity elements aren't directly noticed but affect the endeavor's presence. Others are accents that pop out as you look at them.

Here are some example ideas:

1. Blending a countermelody in a live performance,

2. Pairing 2-3 instruments to play a melody that normally wouldn't,

3. Wide panning complex bell lines in a pop song,

4. Adding new texture to a painting,

5. Reintroducing a color cast into a photo,

6. Doing a live demo of a skill in a speech,

7. Coding an app to entertain the user while it loads,

…and so much more. I might do these things, but you might also have other ideas. Experiment a ton to find what sticks and what doesn't. Then, do what comes next.

Review & Evaluate The Net Value of The Contribution

Remember: Whatever we add to the mix must be done mindfully. 

Making noise for the sake of making noise won't improve our work. Some colors are not meant to go together. Writing a melody and harmony with too much dissonance seldom works, and that's okay.

Adding complexity must yield a positive contribution, not an extraneous addition for complexity's sake. Elegant architecture contains bits and pieces of complexity that form a relationship with one another. The dots connect themselves naturally to render the imagery that captivates our imaginations.

As we reevaluate our additions of complexity, we should ask ourselves whether we are doing it for fun or if there's any meaning to it. The difference in the answers separates approachable complexity from pure chaos.

Change It Up

Adding complexity is an art and science with one simple goal: Engagement. 

Our work doesn't need to be overwhelming and scare people, but it shouldn't leave things to be desired. Therefore, we need to aim for a happy medium found through our own experiences with trial and error.

Ultimately, we must recognize that whatever elements we introduce into our projects will eventually lose their luster. This is evident everywhere in art, science, and Mother Nature.

In ecosystems, what works in one period won't work in another. When food webs are disrupted, the fittest organisms are suddenly no longer the fittest. They must adapt to new circumstances or risk perishing to reclaim their position.

The same is true in human society. Today's best practices will eventually become obsolete. This is why we always open our ears to new music, our eyes to new art, and our minds to new experiences. 

The freshness of something new and unexpected keeps us on our toes so that we can tell stories to people and build relationships. After all, the human psyche demands variety and change to stay engaged. 

Unfortunately, some people aren't cut out for making changes to their craft and either give up or stick to it to become obsolete. If we get comfortable enough with injecting complexity, these driving forces become an opportunity to use creativity to our advantage.

The Beauty Is In The Balance

Simplicity and complexity have their places and times in our vibrant world. The pendulum oscillates between the two, where simplicity dominates nowadays due to its convenience. 

With the emergence of AI, complexity is bound to become a selling point as we see how far we can push ourselves in conjunction with AI. As AI handles the simple stuff through automation, the human touch will become valuable as it adds complexity to our work.

Either side can be overused, but it's far easier to simplify than to complicate elegantly. Therefore, we should learn how to harness complexity wisely to control our skills, experiences, and outcomes in life. Then, if we need to dial it back and simplify the experience, we can choose to do so.

How can you introduce a little bit of tasteful complexity into your life?