--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Complexity serves nothing but our ego. Be…" description: "\"Complexity serves nothing but our ego. Be able to say what you do in a way that people can understand.\" — Chris Brogan" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0fe/chris-brogan-10813_able_complexity-serves-nothing-but-our-ego-be_2069259.png" --- # Complexity serves nothing but our ego. Be able to say what… ![“Complexity serves nothing but our ego. Be able to say what you do in a way that people can understand.” quote by Chris Brogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0fe/chris-brogan-10813_able_complexity-serves-nothing-but-our-ego-be_2069259.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0fe/chris-brogan-10813_able_complexity-serves-nothing-but-our-ego-be_2069259.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0fe/chris-brogan-10813_able_complexity-serves-nothing-but-our-ego-be_2069259.png) > “Complexity serves nothing but our ego. Be able to say what you do in a way that people can understand.” [Chris Brogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-brogan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Complexity inflates ego; clarity in communication is essential for understanding. **In simple terms:** Be clear, avoid ego-driven complexity. Key Takeaway Simplify your message. Themes communication ego clarity complexity Mood practical encouraging Type professional educational When to use this quote - business meetings - teaching - public speaking - writing - team collaboration Key Concepts humility effective messaging leadership Questions to Reflect On - What can you simplify today? - How do you balance depth with clarity? A Different Perspective Simplicity can be perceived as oversimplification. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Able](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/able/) [Complexity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/complexity/) [Complexity Serves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/complexity-serves-3987710/) [Ego](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ego/) [Ego Able](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ego-able-1956735/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Serves Ego](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/serves-ego-3568109/) [Simplicity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/simplicity/) [Understand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/understand/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) ## Related quotes > [“Pride only serves our ego, selflessness serves our Soul.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patrick-lane/pride-only-serves-our-ego-selflessness-serves-our-soul/) [James Patrick Lane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patrick-lane/) > [I didn't want to change my personality onstage, but I still had to build some kind of ego to be able to go up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-gainsbourg/i-didn-t-want-to-change-my-personality-onstage-but-i-still-had-to/) [Charlotte Gainsbourg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-gainsbourg/) > [The ego will always be able to find ways to keep the aspirant busy in self-improvement, thus binding him or her to the fact…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-brunton/the-ego-will-always-be-able-to-find-ways-to-keep-the-aspirant-busy-in/) [Paul Brunton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-brunton/) > [Once we let evil and ego in, one will not be able to pass the test of your life purpose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/senoraroy/once-we-let-evil-and-ego-in-one-will-not-be-able-to-pass-the-test-of/) [Senoraroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/senoraroy/) > [It is on account of the ego that one is not able to see God. In front of the door of God's mansion lies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramakrishna/it-is-on-account-of-the-ego-that-one-is-not-able-to-see-god-in-front/) [Ramakrishna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramakrishna/) > [Politicians have a tremendous amount of ego to be able to do it. It's very hard when the product your selling to an entire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-clooney/politicians-have-a-tremendous-amount-of-ego-to-be-able-to-do-it-it-s/) [George Clooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-clooney/) > [Optimization hinders evolution. Everything should be built top-down, except the first time. Simplicity does not precede complexity, but follows it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-perlis/optimization-hinders-evolution-everything-should-be-built-top-down/) [Alan Perlis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-perlis/) > [Complexity creates confusion, simplicity focus.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-de-bono/complexity-creates-confusion-simplicity-focus/) [Edward de Bono](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-de-bono/) > [Complexity is not good. People don't understand the elegance of simplicity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-willis/complexity-is-not-good-people-don-t-understand-the-elegance-of/) [Gordon Willis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-willis/) > [Abandon the urge to simplify everything, to look for formulas and easy answers, and to begin to think multidimensionally, to glory in the mystery…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-scott-peck/abandon-the-urge-to-simplify-everything-to-look-for-formulas-and-easy/) [M. Scott Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-scott-peck/) > [Beauty is more important in computing than anywhere else in technology because software is so complicated. Beauty is the ultimate defense against complexity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-gelernter/beauty-is-more-important-in-computing-than-anywhere-else-in/) [David Gelernter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-gelernter/) > [It's Twitter's combination of simplicity and complexity that is astonishing in the same way that minimalist sculpture was inspiring and enlightening.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-goldsmith/it-s-twitter-s-combination-of-simplicity-and-complexity-that-is/) [Kenneth Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-goldsmith/) > [The beauty of evolution is that it does provide an explanation of how you can get complexity out of simplicity. It does it by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/the-beauty-of-evolution-is-that-it-does-provide-an-explanation-of-how/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [Simplicity does not precede complexity, but follows it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-perlis/simplicity-does-not-precede-complexity-but-follows-it/) [Alan Perlis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-perlis/) > [“Insofar as we appreciate order, it is when we perceive it as being accompanied by complexity, when we feel that a variety of elements…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alain-de-botton/insofar-as-we-appreciate-order-it-is-when-we-perceive-it-as-being/) [Alain de Botton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alain-de-botton/) ## More by Chris Brogan > [Try to help people rather than focusing on what's in it for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-brogan/try-to-help-people-rather-than-focusing-on-what-s-in-it-for-me/) [Chris Brogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-brogan/) > [Raise up the people beside you & quit worshipping those above you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-brogan/raise-up-the-people-beside-you-quit-worshipping-those-above-you/) [Chris Brogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-brogan/) > [Mission + tools. That’s really what it takes to have focus...you fail at focus because whatever you are trying to focus on isn’t important…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-brogan/mission-tools-that-s-really-what-it-takes-to-have-focus-you-fail-at/) [Chris Brogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-brogan/) > [Stories are how we learn best. We absorb numbers and facts and details, but we keep them all glued into our heads with stories.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-brogan/stories-are-how-we-learn-best-we-absorb-numbers-and-facts-and-details/) [Chris Brogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-brogan/) > [What's required is a kind of social media sherpa, who can find you the audience you seek, who can reach to them on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-brogan/what-s-required-is-a-kind-of-social-media-sherpa-who-can-find-you-the/) [Chris Brogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-brogan/) > [The goal isn't more money. 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Use that magic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-brogan/between-your-brain-and-your-mouth-or-your-fingers-is-magic-your-power/) [Chris Brogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-brogan/) > [People who connect and build fluid relationships are trust agents.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-brogan/people-who-connect-and-build-fluid-relationships-are-trust-agents/) [Chris Brogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-brogan/) > [Guide them where you want them to interact with you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-brogan/guide-them-where-you-want-them-to-interact-with-you/) [Chris Brogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-brogan/) > [To truly know what works, you have to learn what doesn't work first.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-brogan/to-truly-know-what-works-you-have-to-learn-what-doesn-t-work-first/) [Chris Brogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-brogan/) > [Business is about belonging which means inclusion is the new black.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-brogan/business-is-about-belonging-which-means-inclusion-is-the-new-black/) [Chris Brogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-brogan/) > [Walt Disney believed in himself instead of worrying what others were saying.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-brogan/walt-disney-believed-in-himself-instead-of-worrying-what-others-were/) [Chris Brogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-brogan/) > [Don't treat your customers like a bunch of purses and wallets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-brogan/don-t-treat-your-customers-like-a-bunch-of-purses-and-wallets/) [Chris Brogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-brogan/) [Explore all 63 Chris Brogan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-brogan/) ## More Able quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, - that whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [There is something about the South that accepts the supernatural. 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I'm still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nas/i-think-i-ve-had-the-longest-career-of-strength-focus-and-still-being/) [Nas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nas/) > [I have that need in me, I want everyone to love me, but I'm embarrassed by that need, so I wanted to cover it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-jeselnik/i-have-that-need-in-me-i-want-everyone-to-love-me-but-i-m-embarrassed/) [Anthony Jeselnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-jeselnik/) > [Thinking about the things that happened, I don't know any other ball player would could have done what he (Jackie Robinson) did. To be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pee-wee-reese/thinking-about-the-things-that-happened-i-don-t-know-any-other-ball/) [Pee Wee Reese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pee-wee-reese/) > [I wanted to remember in order to be able to return.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anais-nin/i-wanted-to-remember-in-order-to-be-able-to-return/) [Anais Nin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anais-nin/) > [Government schools, with your tax money, now discourage the teaching of multiplication tables by rote memorization but teach reading by the 'look-and-say' method which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-perry/government-schools-with-your-tax-money-now-discourage-the-teaching-of/) [Greg Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-perry/) > [I don't know if I would qualify as mainstream. I think I have managed to function pretty successfully on the fringes of the music…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-metheny/i-don-t-know-if-i-would-qualify-as-mainstream-i-think-i-have-managed/) [Pat Metheny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-metheny/) > [What we're supposed to do as actors is be able to portray real human beings and emotions. And if you grow up in this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-browning/what-we-re-supposed-to-do-as-actors-is-be-able-to-portray-real-human/) [Emily Browning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-browning/) > [The reason that Apple is able to create products like iPad is because we always try to be at the intersection of technology and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/the-reason-that-apple-is-able-to-create-products-like-ipad-is-because/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [It was an important period for us, because even though we weren't a "punk band", and what became a model for a punk band,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-mallinder/it-was-an-important-period-for-us-because-even-though-we-weren-t-a/) [Stephen Mallinder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-mallinder/) > [- You look fine. - Right. I look fine. Except I don't, said Zora, tugging sadly at her man's nightshirt. 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