--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Simple can be harder than complex. You…" description: "\"Simple can be harder than complex. You have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple.\" — Steve Jobs" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d6f/steve-jobs-307_best-job_simple-can-be-harder-than-complex-you-ha_2114188.jpg" --- # Simple can be harder than complex. You have to work hard… ![“Simple can be harder than complex. You have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple.” quote by Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d6f/steve-jobs-307_best-job_simple-can-be-harder-than-complex-you-ha_2114188.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d6f/steve-jobs-307_best-job_simple-can-be-harder-than-complex-you-ha_2114188.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d6f/steve-jobs-307_best-job_simple-can-be-harder-than-complex-you-ha_2114188.jpg) > “Simple can be harder than complex. You have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple.” [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Simplicity requires deep effort; stripping away excess demands rigorous thinking and discipline. **In simple terms:** Simple ideas need hard work. Key Takeaway Strive for clarity through effort. Themes simplicity hard work clarity Mood inspirational practical Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - product design - writing - teaching Key Concepts design thinking cognitive load minimalism Questions to Reflect On - What complex problem can you simplify? - How does clarity improve outcomes? A Different Perspective Simplicity may be misunderstood as easy. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Best job](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/best-job/) [Business change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business-change/) [Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) [Changing the world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/changing-the-world/) [Complex systems](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/complex-systems/) [Complexes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/complexes/) [Crazy inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crazy-inspirational/) [Design work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/design-work/) [Focus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/focus/) [Focus in business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/focus-in-business/) [Focus in life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/focus-in-life/) [Focused](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/focused/) [Great inventors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-inventors/) [Great success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-success/) [Hard life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hard-life/) [Hard work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hard-work/) [Important jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/important-jobs/) [Inspiring change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspiring-change/) [Life changing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-changing/) [Living a simple life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/living-a-simple-life/) [Macintosh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/macintosh/) [Move mountains](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/move-mountains/) [Positive focus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/positive-focus/) [Self inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-inspirational/) [Simple and complex](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/simple-and-complex/) [Simple thoughts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/simple-thoughts/) [Simplicity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/simplicity/) [Simplicity in design](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/simplicity-in-design/) [Simplifying life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/simplifying-life/) [Success mantra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success-mantra/) [Think different](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-different/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Thinking hard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking-hard/) [Work hard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work-hard/) [Working for a living](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/working-for-a-living/) [Working life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/working-life/) ## Related quotes > [Focus and simplicity...once you get there, you can move mountains.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/focus-and-simplicity-once-you-get-there-you-can-move-mountains/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [“Simple can be harder than complex: You have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple. But it’s worth it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/simple-can-be-harder-than-complex-you-have-to-work-hard-to-get-your/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [That's been one of my mantras - focus and simplicity. Simple can be harder than complex.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/that-s-been-one-of-my-mantras-focus-and-simplicity-simple-can-be-3/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [That's been one of my mantras - focus and simplicity. Simple can be harder than complex: You have to work hard to get your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/that-s-been-one-of-my-mantras-focus-and-simplicity-simple-can-be/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [“That’s been one of my mantras — focus and simplicity. Simple can be harder than complex: You have to work hard to get your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/that-s-been-one-of-my-mantras-focus-and-simplicity-simple-can-be-2/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don't want to die to get there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/no-one-wants-to-die-even-people-who-want-to-go-to-heaven-don-t-want-4/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [I'm convinced that about half of what separates successful entrepreneurs from the non-successful ones is pure perseverance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/i-m-convinced-that-about-half-of-what-separates-successful/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [Death is very likely the single best invention of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/death-is-very-likely-the-single-best-invention-of-life/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [You're already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/you-re-already-naked-there-is-no-reason-not-to-follow-your-heart/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [Right now the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away. Sorry…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/right-now-the-new-is-you-but-someday-not-too-long-from-now-you-will/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [Death is very likely the single best invention of life. It is life's change agent. It clears out the old to make way for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/death-is-very-likely-the-single-best-invention-of-life-it-is-life-s/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [ Not only was \[Edwin Land\] one of the great inventors of our time but, more important, he saw the intersection of art and science… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/not-only-was-edwin-land-one-of-the-great-inventors-of-our-time-but/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [You know, Dr. Edwin Land was a troublemaker. He dropped out of Harvard and founded Polaroid. Not only was he one of the great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/you-know-dr-edwin-land-was-a-troublemaker-he-dropped-out-of-harvard/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [You have to trust in something--your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/you-have-to-trust-in-something-your-gut-destiny-life-karma-whatever-2/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [“Complex work is managed so that problems in design and operations are revealed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-kim/complex-work-is-managed-so-that-problems-in-design-and-operations-are/) [Gene Kim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-kim/) ## More by Steve Jobs > [Who wants a stylus. You have to get em and put em away, and you lose em. Yuck. Nobody wants a stylus.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/who-wants-a-stylus-you-have-to-get-em-and-put-em-away-and-you-lose-em/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [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/) > [I admire Mark Zuckerberg... for not selling out, for wanting to make a company. I admire that a lot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/i-admire-mark-zuckerberg-for-not-selling-out-for-wanting-to-make-a/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [If you want to hire great people and have them stay, you have to be run by ideas, not hierarchy. The best ideas have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/if-you-want-to-hire-great-people-and-have-them-stay-you-have-to-be/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [Everything around you that you call life was made up by people that were no smarter than you and you can change it, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/everything-around-you-that-you-call-life-was-made-up-by-people-that/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [“Innovation is not about saying yes to everything. It's about saying NO to all but the most crucial features.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/innovation-is-not-about-saying-yes-to-everything-it-s-about-saying-no/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [I have always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple's CEO, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/i-have-always-said-if-there-ever-came-a-day-when-i-could-no-longer/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [When you first start off trying to solve a problem, the first solutions you come up with are very complex, and most people stop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/when-you-first-start-off-trying-to-solve-a-problem-the-first/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [I'm not dismissing the value of higher education; I'm simply saying it comes at the expense of experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/i-m-not-dismissing-the-value-of-higher-education-i-m-simply-saying-it/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [“To YoYo Ma: "You playing is the best argument I've ever heard for the existence of God, because I don't really believe a human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/to-yoyo-ma-you-playing-is-the-best-argument-i-ve-ever-heard-for-the/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [The most important thing is a person. A person who incites your curiosity and feeds your curiosity; and machines cannot do that in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/the-most-important-thing-is-a-person-a-person-who-incites-your/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [The tragedy is that Dell didn't win it - we lost it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/the-tragedy-is-that-dell-didn-t-win-it-we-lost-it/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [“I think great artists and great engineers are similar, in that they both have a desire to express themselves. In fact some of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/i-think-great-artists-and-great-engineers-are-similar-in-that-they/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [It's rare that you see an artist in his 30s or 40s able to really contribute something amazing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/it-s-rare-that-you-see-an-artist-in-his-30s-or-40s-able-to-really/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [We're going to be able to ask our computers to monitor things for us, and when certain conditions happen, are triggered, the computers will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/we-re-going-to-be-able-to-ask-our-computers-to-monitor-things-for-us/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) [Explore all 695 Steve Jobs quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) ## More Best job quotes > [My job is to do the work, and how many people watch it, the reception that it gets, and all of that is just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfonso-ribeiro/my-job-is-to-do-the-work-and-how-many-people-watch-it-the-reception/) [Alfonso Ribeiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfonso-ribeiro/) > [I want to do the best job I can.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucas-till/i-want-to-do-the-best-job-i-can/) [Lucas Till](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucas-till/) > [I think the astronaut job is the best job in the world. I realized when I was older and started applying for it that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-massimino/i-think-the-astronaut-job-is-the-best-job-in-the-world-i-realized/) [Michael J. Massimino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-massimino/) > [When you first start off trying to solve a problem, the first solutions you come up with are very complex, and most people stop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/when-you-first-start-off-trying-to-solve-a-problem-the-first/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [You just try to get the best jobs that you can get. Sometimes I produce my own movies, so that's your own sort of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cusack/you-just-try-to-get-the-best-jobs-that-you-can-get-sometimes-i/) [John Cusack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cusack/) > [At the end of the day, the TV show is the best job in the world. I get to go anywhere I want, eat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-bourdain/at-the-end-of-the-day-the-tv-show-is-the-best-job-in-the-world-i-get/) [Anthony Bourdain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-bourdain/) > [Loving you is a full-time job. It's a great job, don't get me wrong. It's the best job in the universe. But it's not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-jones/loving-you-is-a-full-time-job-it-s-a-great-job-don-t-get-me-wrong-it/) [Carrie Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-jones/) > [You're already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/you-re-already-naked-there-is-no-reason-not-to-follow-your-heart/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [I left the Army in 2000 and went into industry before I started appearing on TV in 2003. My best job there was on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-strawbridge/i-left-the-army-in-2000-and-went-into-industry-before-i-started/) [Dick Strawbridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-strawbridge/) > [We started off with a set of objectives for what we needed to communicate with the company's identity, created several proposals intended to meet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabe-newell/we-started-off-with-a-set-of-objectives-for-what-we-needed-to/) [Gabe Newell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabe-newell/) > [I have the best job in the world. There's not really a lot to moan or whine about. I've got the privilege of going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boy-george/i-have-the-best-job-in-the-world-there-s-not-really-a-lot-to-moan-or/) [Boy George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boy-george/) > [I think the hardest part about my job is the best part of my job - the travel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-corwin/i-think-the-hardest-part-about-my-job-is-the-best-part-of-my-job-the/) [Jeff Corwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-corwin/) > [I want to win, and I know I'm supposed to win, but I think the biggest thing for me is I have to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyronn-lue/i-want-to-win-and-i-know-i-m-supposed-to-win-but-i-think-the-biggest/) [Tyronn Lue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyronn-lue/) > [Writing is hard work; it's also the best job I've ever had.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-e-feist/writing-is-hard-work-it-s-also-the-best-job-i-ve-ever-had/) [Raymond E. Feist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-e-feist/) > [It's only by saying no that you can concentrate on the things that really matter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-belsky/it-s-only-by-saying-no-that-you-can-concentrate-on-the-things-that/) [Scott Belsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-belsky/) [Browse all 236 Best job quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/best-job/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Simple can be harder than complex. 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