Overcoming Complexity Bias – Stop flirting with complexities and fall in love with simplicity

Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated. Why do we do it?

Last week, while doing laundry, my dryer stopped working. I arranged for a mechanic to check it out and he ended up reminding me of a life lesson that we all tend to forget often. We will come to that in a bit.

First, let’s go to ancient China. It is close to 500 B.C. Confucius, the Chinese philosopher, is busy laying out his philosophies of life and morality which would become the basis of Confucianism. Amidst all those pearls of wisdom, he utters the most profound thing ever said about simplicity – “Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.”

It is fascinating that it was true back then, and it is so today as well - and I suppose it wouldn’t change even in the future. So, the next time an old-timer tells you that “Life used to be much simpler when we were younger” direct them to this quote. After all, Confucius predated the old-timer by a few millennia.

As Confucius observed, why do we make things complicated? We all do it, don’t we? What drives us to overlook relatively simple solutions to seemingly complex problems in life, work, or relationships?

This phenomenon has a name. The tendency to prefer the complicated over the simple is called 'Complexity bias'. Now, if you want to make it slightly more complicated and demand a definition or an explanation, here is one - “Complexity bias is a logical fallacy that leads us to give undue credence to complex concepts. Faced with two competing hypotheses, we are likely to choose the most complex one. That’s usually the option with the most assumptions and regressions. As a result, when we need to solve a problem, we may ignore simple solutions — thinking “that will never work” — and instead favour complex ones.” With a definition like that it does feel more like a phenomenon rather than just a phrase, doesn’t it? If you thought so, that was your brain displaying a little bit of complexity bias.

Complexity bias is but one of the nearly 200 cognitive biases that have been recognized. Interestingly, most of our biases are a result of our brains’ attempts to create mental shortcuts and simplify our day-to-day lives. But complexity bias is one of the rare ones where our brain seeks deliberately complex pathways.

Why do we veer towards complexity bias when almost every cognitive bias that we exhibit is around saving mental energy? Let us go back to my faulty dryer and the mechanic. He managed to get it working in less than ten minutes and charged me about $50 for a small motor that had to be replaced. I should have been relieved. I was, but surprisingly that was not my first reaction though. “I am not sure he did a good job. 10 minutes is all he took, and he didn’t even open up the dryer except for one of the panels on the back." So even as I could see that the dryer was working just fine, I wasn’t entirely happy with the solution. It seemed too simple!

The allure of complexity bias lies in that anecdote. We are programmed to desire novelty, and we desire perfect solutions. So, when we are presented with solutions that don’t seem to tick those boxes, we feel that something is missing. The complexity bias subconsciously leads us to believe that the solution should require a certain level of knowledge or effort. Like in my tryst with the dryer, I couldn’t wrap my head around the fact that a tiny motor was all that was needed? I had envisaged the problem to be much more complex, and this solution didn’t feel satisfying.

Marketers and advertisers are masters of tapping into our complexity bias. (Confession time: I am an advertising professional myself, and I must admit I have resorted to complexities time and again.) Think of a commercial for shampoo or an infant milk formula. There is always the ‘science’ bit - the different chemicals that make the product what it is or the latest technological advancement that makes the shampoo cutting edge. Complicated? Yes. Does it look credible? Oh yes. If the commercial just said “Here is a great shampoo for your hair” or “Feed your kid this formula because it is good”, you wouldn’t have been convinced. Observe yourself the next time you watch an ad.

It is the sceptical reaction that I had that eventually led to the life lesson referred to in the opening paragraph. While the mechanic didn’t tell me any of these, I introspected his ability to solve the problem without complications, and it led me to this... His experience and technical skills enabled him to do two key things:

Focus on the essential;
Ignore the unnecessary frills.

Now, don't get me wrong. Complexity cannot always be avoided. It may even be necessary for innovation and progress. I am sure at some point in the past, my ancestors used to wash their clothes by some riverbank and dry them on the rocks nearby. They didn't have a dryer. It is the complexity of concepts like electricity and plumbing, along with a whole lot of other things, that made it possible for me to have the privilege of having a washer and dryer at home. But those complexities eventually made washing and drying simple for me.

In a widely discussed paper titled 'Essence and Accidents of Software Engineering', Turing Award winner Frederick Brooks talks at length about complexity in any conceptual structure. Any solution being devised to solve a problem maybe has inherent complexity, which is necessary to make the solution effective. Systems may also have accidental complexities, which might not contribute to the solution, but might be necessary to deliver the solution. For example, imagine that you have signed up for a spin class at the nearby indoor cycling studio (as I write this line, I keep telling myself, "You tried it once, don't put yourself through that again"). The various routines that your instructor takes you through or the different resistance levels you must work through, are all inherent complexities built into you to ensure that your session is intense and that you burn a lot of calories. On the other hand, you might find that your spinning shoe is not the most comfortable and may not click on the pedals as seamlessly as you would like it to. This is an example of accidental complexity, and while it might not contribute to the burning of calories, it is still vital for the whole process.

It is important to be able to find the right amount of complexity in the solutions that we seek. It is easier said than done. But it would be good to remember the principle of Occam's razor, as stated by William of Ockham back in the 13th century: “plurality should not be posited without necessity.” In modern times, it has been paraphrased, not entirely accurately, as "the simplest explanation is usually the best one”. Indeed!

How could we put this simple philosophy into practice in our day-to-day lives? How do we find the right amount of complexity in what we do? Remember the lessons from the dryer mechanic? This is where you apply it. When facing different options to get to an outcome, ask yourself two questions: "Is this step or part of the process essential?", "What are the steps or parts of the process that I can eliminate?”. Sounds simple? It is. It is supposed to be simple, remember?

This could work for any aspect of your life. Here are a few suggestions that I would leave you with...

Does it have to be a meeting? Or can that be an email?
Do I need 200 slides to say this story? How many do I need to deliver the essence?
Why am I doing fifteen different types of barbell curls? Wouldn’t the four or five basic lifts be enough to keep me strong and fit? Most of us aren’t trying to be Chris Hemsworth or Gal Gadot, are we?
What is with this latest diet consisting of fifteen different types of detox? If I have my greens, veggies, and a healthy amount of carbs and proteins, wouldn’t that be enough?
How is this complicated ritual going to help me calm down? Would a simple meditation while I sit by myself help me achieve the same?
Do I need to go through seventeen steps to take care of my skin? Wouldn’t a good old cleanser and moisturizer be enough?

These are just a few scenarios in which you might find yourself swayed by complexity bias. Of course, based on your condition, you might need a more complex solution. Maybe you do need 200 slides to present your story because it requires a lot of technical explanation and you are delivering it to an audience who is expecting it. Maybe your skin condition is different from most people and you might find additional steps necessary. But the point is, unless you ask yourself those questions, you might never know what the essential bits are and which are the unnecessary frills. You wouldn't want to continue flirting with complexity for much longer than necessary, would you? It is time for you to discover simplicity and fall in love with it.

While you are at it, here is a video featuring Khaby Lame, the modern face of simplicity. The man, who without speaking a word, mocks our temptations to pursue complexities. If he can’t convince to adopt simplicity, who can?