April Rinne

Finding Clarity Faster Through Thoughtful Subtraction

To see why subtraction accelerates clarity, it helps to notice how easily the mind becomes overloaded. Psychologist Barry Schwartz’s The Paradox of Choice (2004) describes how more options can reduce satisfaction and increase anxiety, even when choices are objectively better. In other words, addition can generate uncertainty rather than resolve it. Building on that, subtracting options can calm the mental environment where judgment happens. When fewer inputs compete for attention, priorities become easier to rank, trade-offs become more visible, and decisions feel cleaner rather than constantly revisable. [...]

Clarity Often Arrives Through Thoughtful Subtraction

From cognition, the logic extends naturally into design. Dieter Rams’ modernist ethos—often summarized as “Less, but better”—treats subtraction not as austerity, but as respect for the user’s time and attention. A product becomes clearer when unnecessary steps, buttons, and features are removed. In practice, this is why many “improvements” feel like relief: a simplified interface, a shorter form, or a cleaner process. Subtraction reduces the need for explanation because the thing itself communicates more directly. [...]

Clarity Comes From Subtraction, Not More Doing

Once something is removed, what replaces it should not be more activity. The empty space is the point: it allows thoughts to connect, emotions to settle, and patterns to become visible. Many people recognize this anecdotally—ideas arrive on a walk, in the shower, or during travel—moments when the brain is not being continuously fed new demands. In this way, subtraction supports the kind of clarity that can’t be forced. You can’t schedule an epiphany, but you can make conditions where it is more likely. By protecting unclaimed time, you give your mind room to process what it already knows. [...]