Over-complicating everything is a sure sign that you’re stuck in your head. The mind wants to grand schemes and elaborate systems. It loves tedious itty-bitty details that end up being a distraction from the main point. But true wisdom is almost always simple & straightforward.
The best frame I've found useful for this as a recovering midwit is this: The 1st rule of curing midwit syndrome: You'll never be the guy on the right. The midwit mistake is to think you're smarter than you are -- and pursue non-obvious complex solutions rather than the obvious simple solutions. The 2nd rule of curing midwit syndrome: Try to become the guy on the left. Find the simple ideas -- and take them seriously. How do you find the simple ideas? The 3rd rule of curing midwit syndrome: Inversion. If you want to become the guy on the left: Write down your goal, write down how you'd assure failure, and avoid that. Example: "I want to become a writer in 2024" The midwit will start learning about writers' coffee-drinking routines or researching the perfect keyboard to enhance their word count. Instead, how would you ensure you become a worse writer in 2024? 1. Do not write 2. Write inconsistently 3. Write about things you find boring Now you've found the simple ideas the guy on the left will come up with: 1. Write 2. Write consistently 3. Write about things that excite you Do not move onto any complex solutions until you've maxed out those 3 things. ----- Note: I'm hyper aware of the irony of designing a midwit algo to defy being a midwit. I'm the apex midwit.
@david_perell @HumbleFlow Yup! Less clutter, more clear!
@david_perell Simplicity is often the clearest path to wisdom.
@david_perell We often fall in love with images of grandeur, or a more idealistic vision in our minds… When the path to beauty is through experiencing our bodies in the here and now and accepting our fear of the pain, weakness and aliveness felt here.
@david_perell What did they say, '4 levels of intelligence, Smart, Brilliant, Genius, Simple.'
@david_perell It's difficult for some people to be simple, even after thinking hard, trying hard, iterating on a document. Maybe it's still muddled thinking. But I think often it's a lack of decision-making: Saying what is important, or what to do, means deciding 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵 so much more.
@david_perell It seems the mind doesn't have our best interest at heart.
@david_perell It's so easy to fall into this trap when writing a novel. Recently, I had a plot thread that was going in a hundred different directions. I had to sit down and remind myself what the story is actually about. That lead me back to simplicity.