---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Simpler theories may be more convenient…"
description: "\"“Simpler theories may be more convenient to work with, but they are not intrinsically more probable than complex ones.”\" — Samir Okasha"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b38/samir-okasha-69401_quote_simpler-theories-may-be-more-convenient_1582474.jpg"
---

#  Simpler theories may be more convenient to work with, but…

![“Simpler theories may be more convenient to work with, but they are not intrinsically more probable than complex ones.” quote by Samir Okasha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b38/samir-okasha-69401_quote_simpler-theories-may-be-more-convenient_1582474.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b38/samir-okasha-69401_quote_simpler-theories-may-be-more-convenient_1582474.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b38/samir-okasha-69401_quote_simpler-theories-may-be-more-convenient_1582474.jpg)

> ““Simpler theories may be more convenient to work with, but they are not intrinsically more probable than complex ones.””

[Samir Okasha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samir-okasha/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Simpler models are convenient but not inherently more likely to be true than complex ones.

**In simple terms:** Simplicity isn’t proof of truth.

Key Takeaway

Evaluate theories on evidence, not simplicity.

Themes

science philosophy theory complexity simplicity

Mood

analytical critical

Type

scientific philosophical

When to use this quote

- research design
- data analysis
- policy making

Key Concepts

Occam’s razor model selection probability

Questions to Reflect On

- When is a simple model insufficient?
- How to balance simplicity and accuracy?

A Different Perspective

Complex models can be overfitted.

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[Intrinsically Probable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intrinsically-probable-5980545/) [Probable Complex](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/probable-complex-5980546/) [Simpler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/simpler/) [Simpler Theories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/simpler-theories-2628208/) [Theories Convenient](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theories-convenient-5980544/)

## Related quotes

> [Earlier attempts to show that simpler theories always have higher prior probabilities have failed, but there is a restricted circumstance in which the claim…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-sober/earlier-attempts-to-show-that-simpler-theories-always-have-higher/)

[Elliott Sober](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-sober/)

> [It is simpler and easier to flatter people than to praise them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-paul/it-is-simpler-and-easier-to-flatter-people-than-to-praise-them/)

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> [Life is simpler when you plow around the stump.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/life-is-simpler-when-you-plow-around-the-stump/)

[Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/)

> [We all pine for a time in life when things were simpler. Even when they weren't necessarily simpler, hindsight makes them look a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-gibbard/we-all-pine-for-a-time-in-life-when-things-were-simpler-even-when/)

[Ben Gibbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-gibbard/)

> [The only way to improve a trick is to find a simpler and more direct way of doing it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-lepaul/the-only-way-to-improve-a-trick-is-to-find-a-simpler-and-more-direct/)

[Paul LePaul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-lepaul/)

> [I'll say life is simpler.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jayson-williams/i-ll-say-life-is-simpler/)

[Jayson Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jayson-williams/)

> [The truth always turns out to be simpler than you thought.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-p-feynman/the-truth-always-turns-out-to-be-simpler-than-you-thought/)

[Richard P. Feynman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-p-feynman/)

> [The simpler it is, the more beautiful it will become.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilhelm-backhaus/the-simpler-it-is-the-more-beautiful-it-will-become/)

[Wilhelm Backhaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilhelm-backhaus/)

> [The main purpose of science is simplicity and as we understand more things, everything is becoming simpler.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-teller/the-main-purpose-of-science-is-simplicity-and-as-we-understand-more/)

[Edward Teller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-teller/)

> [Keep things simple, but not any simpler.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/einstine/keep-things-simple-but-not-any-simpler/)

[Einstine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/einstine/)

> [O, how much simpler things would be If eyes could paint or brush could see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-breault/o-how-much-simpler-things-would-be-if-eyes-could-paint-or-brush-could/)

[Robert Breault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-breault/)

> [“Nothingness, after all, is simpler than any one particular existing thing ever could be; there is only one nothing, and many kinds of something.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-carroll/nothingness-after-all-is-simpler-than-any-one-particular-existing/)

[Sean Carroll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-carroll/)

> [Our clothing, our food, our household furnishings - all could be much simpler than they now are and at the same time be better…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ford/our-clothing-our-food-our-household-furnishings-all-could-be-much/)

[Henry Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ford/)

> [“Once you start doing it, lying is simpler than breathing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/once-you-start-doing-it-lying-is-simpler-than-breathing/)

[Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/)

> [Life is more complicated than we think, yet far simpler than anyone dares to imagine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-durrell/life-is-more-complicated-than-we-think-yet-far-simpler-than-anyone/)

[Lawrence Durrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-durrell/)

## More by Samir Okasha

> [“Philosophers have long regarded intentionality as a puzzling phenomenon, for it is hard to see how it can arise in a purely physical world.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samir-okasha/philosophers-have-long-regarded-intentionality-as-a-puzzling/)

[Samir Okasha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samir-okasha/)

> [“Firstly, it meant that the issue between competing paradigms could not be resolved by simply appealing to ‘the data’ or ‘the facts’, for what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samir-okasha/firstly-it-meant-that-the-issue-between-competing-paradigms-could-not/)

[Samir Okasha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samir-okasha/)

> [“From a philosophical point of view, Leibniz's most interesting argument was that absolute space conflicted with what he called the principle of the identity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samir-okasha/from-a-philosophical-point-of-view-leibniz-s-most-interesting/)

[Samir Okasha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samir-okasha/)

[Explore all 4 Samir Okasha quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samir-okasha/)

## More Simpler quotes

> [Life is more complicated than we think, yet far simpler than anyone dares to imagine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-durrell/life-is-more-complicated-than-we-think-yet-far-simpler-than-anyone/)

[Lawrence Durrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-durrell/)

> [“Once you start doing it, lying is simpler than breathing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/once-you-start-doing-it-lying-is-simpler-than-breathing/)

[Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/)

> [Our clothing, our food, our household furnishings - all could be much simpler than they now are and at the same time be better…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ford/our-clothing-our-food-our-household-furnishings-all-could-be-much/)

[Henry Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ford/)

> [“Nothingness, after all, is simpler than any one particular existing thing ever could be; there is only one nothing, and many kinds of something.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-carroll/nothingness-after-all-is-simpler-than-any-one-particular-existing/)

[Sean Carroll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-carroll/)

> [O, how much simpler things would be If eyes could paint or brush could see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-breault/o-how-much-simpler-things-would-be-if-eyes-could-paint-or-brush-could/)

[Robert Breault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-breault/)

> [Keep things simple, but not any simpler.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/einstine/keep-things-simple-but-not-any-simpler/)

[Einstine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/einstine/)

> [The main purpose of science is simplicity and as we understand more things, everything is becoming simpler.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-teller/the-main-purpose-of-science-is-simplicity-and-as-we-understand-more/)

[Edward Teller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-teller/)

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[Wilhelm Backhaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilhelm-backhaus/)

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[Richard P. Feynman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-p-feynman/)

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[Jayson Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jayson-williams/)

> [The only way to improve a trick is to find a simpler and more direct way of doing it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-lepaul/the-only-way-to-improve-a-trick-is-to-find-a-simpler-and-more-direct/)

[Paul LePaul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-lepaul/)

> [We all pine for a time in life when things were simpler. Even when they weren't necessarily simpler, hindsight makes them look a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-gibbard/we-all-pine-for-a-time-in-life-when-things-were-simpler-even-when/)

[Ben Gibbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-gibbard/)

> [Life is simpler when you plow around the stump.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/life-is-simpler-when-you-plow-around-the-stump/)

[Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/)

> [It is simpler and easier to flatter people than to praise them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-paul/it-is-simpler-and-easier-to-flatter-people-than-to-praise-them/)

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> [“The simpler elements of the scientific world have no immediate counterparts in everyday experience; we use them to build things which have counterparts.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-stanley-eddington/the-simpler-elements-of-the-scientific-world-have-no-immediate/)

[Arthur Stanley Eddington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-stanley-eddington/)

[Browse all 212 Simpler quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/simpler/)

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