More than ever, people behave as if more is better. And it’s hard to blame them. We live in an age of unparalleled possibility, variety, and quantity. Our culture preaches consumerism and our technology ensures that more is always at the tips of our fingers.
While it should be obvious that we have a finite amount of time, there is an opportunity cost to consumption, and novelty eventually exhausts itself, I am not writing to convince anyone of that.
I am writing to those who are already sympathetic to the idea that less is often more in hopes of shining a light on some of the more pernicious manifestations of ‘more is better’ so that they can change their habits and improve their lives.
Some examples of where less is more
Social media is perhaps the most obvious example of where less is more, however, I’d go so far to say none is best. Do not delude yourself into thinking that you gain some benefit from social media by learning or connecting with others. Any benefit you may gain from a single piece of content is not only diluted, but also counteracted by the sheer volume of content consumed. The core of the problem is not bad content, which is a significant problem, nor limited retention, which is another major issue, or even the slow erosion of personal values, which is partially responsible for the decline of western civilization. The main problem is that you consume so much that you develop a wicked habit of consumption at the cost of self-actualization! Reflection, planning, and a general awareness of self is replaced with mindless consumption. If you want to be great, you need to cut out social media so you have the opportunity to develop a deeper relationship with yourself. And if you really want to learn, seek out content specific to what you hope to learn (rather than mindless scrolling). And if you really want to connect with others, give them a phone call or meet up in person…
Religion is also an area where sometimes less is more. The world would be a better place if Christians focused on a few essential passages–and the general spirit of the Bible–instead of trying to memorize over 700,000 words. Trying to internalize so much content, much of it contradictory, results in some degree of confusion and where there is a lack of clarity, there is also a lack of strength. Of course, some of the power of the Bible (and other holy books) is in its length so I’m not advocating that the Bible get a better editor–especially since one chooses when and what they read.
The real trouble with religion is the weekly sermon. Religious leaders ought to help laypeople focus on the essential aspects of a religion, however, instead of repeating the same key points every sermon, religious leaders usually opt for novelty, to say something new or fresh. This preference for freshness ultimately undermines the faith because practitioners get tripped up by things that don’t matter and miss the forest for the trees. Imagine how powerful it would be if the preacher talked about the importance of prayer and developing a personal relationship with God every single week. The world would be a better place. Until that day comes, you may be better off going to church every so often or leaving on the days where they are talking about something pedantic.
News is another major source of brain rot. If you have a habit of looking for news, stop. The news has a way of finding you and the news that finds you is vastly more relevant. Of course, the happenings of the world at large matter, but what are you personally going to do about them? Reading about tragedy after tragedy that you are unable to stop, will lead to a profound sense of helplessness. So instead of trying to save The World at large (which is noble), try to improve your world in particular (which is noble and effective). In your world (which includes all the strangers and friends you interact with), you actually have power and can make a difference. Just as society is made up of individuals, The World is made up of billions of smaller worlds. It may not feel like you are doing much, but the most reliable way to make The World a better place is to make your world a better place.
Also, when you lose sight of your world, you lose sight of reality and the critical feedback it provides. The 24/7 news media is happy to replace real people from your world with theoretical straw men and fantastical Boogeymen if you let them. This obviously distorts your world view and moral compass. If the news tried to accurately depict reality, this may not be a problem, but their motive is profit and unfortunately for mankind the best way to do that is to distort reality. So pay attention to what’s going on in your world and stop watching the news on TV, delete news apps from your phone, and unsubscribe to all your newsletters.
Surprisingly, books are another instance where less can be more. In general books fulfill two purposes: 1) learning / personal development 2) entertainment / escapism. Some escapism can be helpful, but too much and you actually inhibit personal development. And if you read primarily to learn, then there is risk in reading too broadly. Seneca said it well:
You should be extending your stay among writers whose genius is unquestionable, deriving constant nourishment from them if you wish to gain anything from your reading that will find a lasting place in your mind. To be everywhere is to be nowhere.
Those who are proud of how many books they’ve read are likely missing the point. It is better to read Anna Karenina 100 times than read 100 different books by substandard authors. How could 100 different voices in your head not result in some degree of confusion?
Conclusion
The general point I’m trying to make is that life is better when you consciously seek out rather than being mindlessly forced fed. Anyone that promises you content at some recurring, indefinite frequency is essentially promising you that they won’t always give you their best. There will be dips in quality and fluff mixed in with the essential. The more frequent the content, the worse the dips in quality will be.
In theory, you can filter out the good from bad and essential from trivial, but that function of the human mind is not always present and suffers from fatigue, especially when faced with such a volume of inputs. Focus is your superpower, don’t waste it on filtering signal vs noise.
A good rule of thumb: be wary of anything that promises daily, weekly, monthly, or unlimited content. They are likely passing the responsibility of sorting the essential from inessential to you. You will likely become confused as a result.