Simplicity has been on my mind lately. After learning about Occam’s razor principle, I can’t stop thinking about it and seeing it everywhere. Basically, the principle says that when an event occurs, there are many explanations for what caused it, and the simplest explanation, which makes the least assumptions, is the most likely accurate one. Bearing that in mind, I can think of countless situations where I have entangled myself in assumptions and thoughts while trying to explain a person’s behavior, a transpired event, a result, a future prediction, or when making a choice. In these situations, looking back with the benefit of hindsight, I mostly conclude that I overly complicated the matter and made too many assumptions, even when the solution was in plain sight.

However, I am aware that I could fall prey to two biases: confirmation bias and hindsight bias. Confirmation bias occurs when I only pay attention to data that supports my beliefs or what I want to happen, ignoring anything to the contrary. Hindsight bias, on the other hand, occurs when I inaccurately believe that I could have predicted the outcomes of events. These biases are easy to fall into and could partially explain why I see Occam’s razor principle and the benefits of simplicity in many scenarios. Basically, there is a greater than 0% chance that this write-up contains some confirmation and hindsight biases too.

Initially, when I thought of simplicity, words like laziness and low effort came to mind. However, after considering products, services, and companies that I think embody simplicity, I realized it couldn’t be further from the truth. One product integral to my daily life is the smartphone, which I assume is essential to others too. The best-selling smartphone is currently the iPhone, made by Apple. Apple is renowned for its well-designed and simple user experience, and it’s reported that the late Steve Jobs was a big believer in Leonardo Da Vinci’s philosophy: “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” Clearly, simplicity has worked well for Apple and its customers.

Another example is Google Search. It is widely successful and simple to use. I simply type a question into a text box in the middle of a blank page and, voilà, I get links directing me to answers. This experience continues to become even more streamlined with advancements in large language model (LLM) technology, which now often provides direct answers instead of a list of links.

Aiming for simplicity in daily life tasks requires more initial work, but the benefits are worth it. What do I mean by “more initial work”? In today’s world, we are blessed with many options, which is great but can also lead to analysis paralysis. To overcome this, I believe in carefully evaluating all options within my capacity, using my intuition, and consulting experts—preferably those who are data-driven and employ statistical models such as regression analysis. After completing this initial work, hopefully a winner often emerges depending on my objectives (e.g., performance, cost, durability, user experience, etc.). If two or more equally good options arise, I can either rotate between them—since diverse experiences are beneficial—or use simpler decision-making tools like a coin flip or even a Magic 8-Ball lol.

To illustrate, I like fruits and want to simplify my future purchases. I start by defining my objectives: taste, health, and cost. My favorite fruits are oranges, apples, and mangoes. According to this article, lemons rank first, and oranges are the healthiest among my favorites. With this information, I can prioritize citrus fruits I enjoy while being guided by supporting data .

Next, I need to decide where to buy—supermarkets or fruit markets. Initially, I should try both and compare the quality. For small purchases like fruits, I’m willing to ignore minor price differences for better quality (e.g., taste and presentation). Once I streamline these acts, I can simply repeat the process in the future and focus on other tasks.

This small practical example demonstrates what I mean by simplicity: invest effort upfront, streamline the process, repeat, and then shift focus to other priorities. I aim to apply this practice to most decisions in the future.