Occam’s Razor Paradox: Simplicity Is Hard to See

Sometimes, when you're deep in the weeds, everything starts to feel complicated. You go down one rabbit hole, and before you know it, you’ve spun a web of ideas that are far more complex than the original problem. Occam’s Razor suggests the simplest explanation is often the best one. Yet, paradoxically, simplicity is hard to achieve because we tend to overthink things. Let’s talk about how this works in real life and why it’s often harder to spot the simple solution.

Complexity Is Tempting

When faced with a problem, our instinct is often to over-explain or overanalyze. There’s something about complexity that feels more satisfying, even when it isn’t necessary. You end up adding layers, thinking they’ll get you closer to the answer, but in reality, they often do the opposite.

Consider these situations:

• You’re troubleshooting a technical issue and start digging into every possible scenario, but the fix was as simple as restarting the device.
• You’ve got a task at work and feel like you need to research every angle, but the solution was sitting in the email you ignored earlier.
• You plan an event and think about every little thing that could go wrong, when all it really needed was a date and a venue.

In each of these cases, you start with something straightforward but end up making it complicated because you think there has to be more to it. It’s like adding puzzle pieces to a puzzle that’s already finished—there’s no need for them, but you keep adding them anyway.

Simplicity Feels Too Easy

There’s a reason simplicity often gets overlooked. When things feel too simple, we second-guess ourselves. It’s almost like we don’t trust that the easy solution could possibly be the right one. It’s counterintuitive, but our brains tend to look for hidden complications, especially when something feels too obvious.

For instance:

• You’re reading a set of instructions and feel the need to double-check or find a more detailed version, even though the instructions already seem clear.
• You’re offered a quick solution to a problem, but instead of accepting it, you feel like there’s got to be more to it.
• You receive feedback on a project, and it’s mostly positive, but you start searching for hidden criticisms that aren’t there.

This tendency comes from a feeling that if it’s too simple, it must be missing something. The paradox is that the simpler solution often is the right one, but it’s human nature to complicate it.

Stripping Away the Unnecessary

When you're dealing with a problem, stripping away the unnecessary layers is usually the hardest part. It’s easy to add more; it's harder to take things away without feeling like you’re missing something. Yet, simplifying things are generally quicker, better results because it forces you to focus only on what’s really needed.

Some real-life situations where this plays out:

• You’re cleaning your house and get sidetracked by organizing a drawer that doesn’t matter, when all you needed was to vacuum the living room.
• You’re writing an email and spend too much time rewording the opening sentence when the person on the receiving end just cares about the point you're making.
• You’re preparing for a presentation and keep adding slides, even though the audience just needs you to explain one clear idea.

When you strip things down to their core, you often realize that much of the extra effort isn’t moving you forward. It’s just giving you more to juggle without adding any real value.

The Fear of Missing Out on Complexity

A big reason people resist simplicity is the fear that they’re missing out on something by not making things more complex. There’s an unspoken assumption that complicated solutions are somehow better, more thorough, or more intelligent. But in reality, complexity often introduces more chances for things to go wrong.

Think about:

• Buying a car and agonizing over every optional feature, when all you really need is something that gets you from A to B.
• Designing a website and obsessing over font choices, colors, and layout options, when users just want a site that loads fast and is easy to navigate.
• Planning a vacation and spending hours looking up every possible restaurant, tour, and activity, when all you really need is a hotel and a good map.

The more layers you add, the more opportunities there are for something to break down. By sticking with simplicity, you reduce the number of things that could go wrong, making the overall outcome more reliable.

Why We’re Drawn to the Complex

It’s natural to be drawn to complexity because, on some level, it feels like we’re doing more. It makes us feel productive to pile on the research, to add layers of contingency plans, and to consider every possible variable. But often, this additional effort doesn’t move the needle.

Here’s how this plays out:

• You over-research a project, thinking that if you just find one more article, one more source, you’ll finally crack the code, but you’re already past the point of diminishing returns.
• You revise your plan for the third or fourth time, not because it needs it, but because tweaking the details feels like progress.
• You ask for extra feedback from colleagues, even though the first round of feedback was already comprehensive.

In these moments, it feels like doing more is better, but often, doing less—focusing on just what’s necessary—gets you to the finish line faster and a more satisfying way.

Let Go, Stop Overthinking

The trick to making Occam's Razor work in your life is letting go of the need to overthink things. This is easier said than done because overthinking can feel productive in the moment. But when you let go of that need, you can begin to trust simpler solutions and free up time and energy for more meaningful tasks.

Consider these scenarios:

• You're planning a project and instinctively want to create a detailed spreadsheet, but you realize a simple checklist will do the job just fine.
• You’ve got a minor issue with a piece of technology and start to research every possible troubleshooting solution, but then decide to just reboot, which fixes the issue instantly.
• You’re preparing for a meeting and think you need to present every single detail, but then strip it down to the main points, and it goes smoother than expected.

By letting go of the urge to complicate, you open yourself up to simpler, faster solutions.

The Satisfaction of Simple Solutions

While complex solutions feel satisfying in the moment, simple solutions tend to feel more rewarding in the long run. There’s a sense of relief when you realize that a problem doesn’t require as much work or as many resources as you initially thought. It’s almost like finding a shortcut you didn’t know existed.

Some situations where this might happen:

• You finish a task ahead of schedule because you stuck to the basics, and now you have extra time for something else.
• You solve a problem with minimal effort, and it works out just as well as if you had gone the complicated route.
• You make a decision quickly, and it turns out just as well as if you had spent hours agonizing over every little detail.

Simplicity has a way of freeing you from the mental clutter that complexity often brings, and the satisfaction of getting something done without all the extra layers can be a real eye-opener.

Occam's Razor reminds us that the simplest answer is often the best, but simplicity isn’t always easy to spot. The paradox is that while simplicity feels counterintuitive, it frequently delivers better results, faster. By stripping away unnecessary layers, you end up saving time, reducing stress, and increasing the likelihood of success. In a world that loves complexity, sometimes the hardest thing is to remember that simple solutions are usually right in front of us—if we’re willing to look for them.