--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is vain to do with more what can be…" description: "\"It is vain to do with more what can be done with less.\" — William of Ockham" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e0/william-of-ockham-23662_creativity_it-is-vain-to-do-with-more-what-can-be-d_2803084.jpg" --- # It is vain to do with more what can be done with less. ![“It is vain to do with more what can be done with less.” quote by William of Ockham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e0/william-of-ockham-23662_creativity_it-is-vain-to-do-with-more-what-can-be-d_2803084.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e0/william-of-ockham-23662_creativity_it-is-vain-to-do-with-more-what-can-be-d_2803084.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e0/william-of-ockham-23662_creativity_it-is-vain-to-do-with-more-what-can-be-d_2803084.jpg) > “It is vain to do with more what can be done with less.” [William of Ockham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-of-ockham/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Efficiency prefers simpler methods over unnecessary complexity. **In simple terms:** Do more with less. Key Takeaway Apply simplicity to problem solving. Themes simplicity efficiency parsimony Mood analytical practical Type philosophical technical When to use this quote - engineering - writing - business strategy - software development Key Concepts philosophy logic design thinking Questions to Reflect On - When is complexity justified? - How to balance simplicity and completeness? A Different Perspective Oversimplification may miss nuance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Creativity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creativity/) [Done](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/done/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Occam-s-razor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/occam-s-razor/) [Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace/) [Problem solving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problem-solving/) [Simple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/simple/) [Simplicity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/simplicity/) [Vain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vain/) ## Related quotes > [For nothing ought to be posited without a reason given, unless it is self-evident (literally, known through itself) or known by experience or proved…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-of-ockham/for-nothing-ought-to-be-posited-without-a-reason-given-unless-it-is/) [William of Ockham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-of-ockham/) > [Entities must not be multiplied beyond necessity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-of-ockham/entities-must-not-be-multiplied-beyond-necessity/) [William of Ockham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-of-ockham/) > [Entities are not to be multiplied beyond necessity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-of-ockham/entities-are-not-to-be-multiplied-beyond-necessity/) [William of Ockham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-of-ockham/) > [Of two equivalent theories or explanations, all other things being equal, the simpler one is to be preferred.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-of-ockham/of-two-equivalent-theories-or-explanations-all-other-things-being/) [William of Ockham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-of-ockham/) > [So Occam's razor - Occam says you should choose the explanation that is most simple and straightforward - leads me more to believe in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/so-occam-s-razor-occam-says-you-should-choose-the-explanation-that-is/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [While Occam's razor is a useful tool in the physical sciences, it can be a very dangerous implement in biology. It is thus very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-crick/while-occam-s-razor-is-a-useful-tool-in-the-physical-sciences-it-can/) [Francis Crick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-crick/) > [People don't want to know the truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-jackson/people-don-t-want-to-know-the-truth/) [Katherine Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-jackson/) > [Nonbeing must in some sense be, otherwise what is it that there is not? This tangled doctrine might be nicknamed Plato's beard; historically it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willard-van-orman-quine/nonbeing-must-in-some-sense-be-otherwise-what-is-it-that-there-is-not/) [Willard Van Orman Quine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willard-van-orman-quine/) > [Christian apologists who argue that a story about an empty tomb is convincing evidence of a resurrected body are likely unfamiliar with Occam’s razor,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-g-mcafee/christian-apologists-who-argue-that-a-story-about-an-empty-tomb-is/) [David G. McAfee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-g-mcafee/) > [Therefore to the same natural effects we must, as far as possible, assign the same causes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-newton/therefore-to-the-same-natural-effects-we-must-as-far-as-possible/) [Isaac Newton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-newton/) > [If a thing can be done adequately by means of one, it is superfluous to do it by means of several; for we observe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-aquinas/if-a-thing-can-be-done-adequately-by-means-of-one-it-is-superfluous/) [Thomas Aquinas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-aquinas/) > [“Let's Look at Subjective Religious Experiences This Way: What if ten thousand people went up to a mountain top, saw something, and then they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-w-loftus/let-s-look-at-subjective-religious-experiences-this-way-what-if-ten/) [John W. Loftus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-w-loftus/) > [Were it not for Occam's Razor, which always demands simplicity, I'd be tempted to believe that human beings are more influenced by distant causes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/were-it-not-for-occam-s-razor-which-always-demands-simplicity-i-d-be/) [Richard Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/) > [Nature operates in the shortest way possible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/nature-operates-in-the-shortest-way-possible/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [Occam's razor suggests that, if some event is physically plausible, we don't need recourse to more extraordinary claims for its being. Surely the requirement…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-m-krauss/occam-s-razor-suggests-that-if-some-event-is-physically-plausible-we/) [Lawrence M. Krauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-m-krauss/) ## More by William of Ockham > [Pluralitas non est ponenda sine necessitate. A plurality (of reasons) should not be posited without necessity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-of-ockham/pluralitas-non-est-ponenda-sine-necessitate-a-plurality-of-reasons/) [William of Ockham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-of-ockham/) > [Entities should not be posited unnecessarily.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-of-ockham/entities-should-not-be-posited-unnecessarily/) [William of Ockham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-of-ockham/) > [God's existence cannot be deduced by reason alone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-of-ockham/god-s-existence-cannot-be-deduced-by-reason-alone/) [William of Ockham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-of-ockham/) > [Whenever two hypotheses cover the facts, use the simpler of the two.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-of-ockham/whenever-two-hypotheses-cover-the-facts-use-the-simpler-of-the-two/) [William of Ockham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-of-ockham/) > [“Pluralitas non est ponenda sine neccesitate. (Entities should not be multiplied unnecessarily.)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-of-ockham/pluralitas-non-est-ponenda-sine-neccesitate-entities-should-not-be/) [William of Ockham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-of-ockham/) > [Intuitive cognition of a thing is cognition that enables us to know whether the thing exists or does not exist, in such a way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-of-ockham/intuitive-cognition-of-a-thing-is-cognition-that-enables-us-to-know/) [William of Ockham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-of-ockham/) > [Entities are not to be multiplied beyond necessity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-of-ockham/entities-are-not-to-be-multiplied-beyond-necessity/) [William of Ockham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-of-ockham/) > [Of two equivalent theories or explanations, all other things being equal, the simpler one is to be preferred.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-of-ockham/of-two-equivalent-theories-or-explanations-all-other-things-being/) [William of Ockham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-of-ockham/) > [Plurality should not be assumed without necessity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-of-ockham/plurality-should-not-be-assumed-without-necessity/) [William of Ockham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-of-ockham/) > [3 is a prime, 5 is a prime, and 7 is a prime. Why bother with non-prime numbers when the primes can do everything?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-of-ockham/3-is-a-prime-5-is-a-prime-and-7-is-a-prime-why-bother-with-non-prime/) [William of Ockham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-of-ockham/) > [For nothing ought to be posited without a reason given, unless it is self-evident (literally, known through itself) or known by experience or proved…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-of-ockham/for-nothing-ought-to-be-posited-without-a-reason-given-unless-it-is/) [William of Ockham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-of-ockham/) > [My God is the green tide in the spring leaves the redness of cherries high in the air the excitement of shooting stars the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-of-ockham/my-god-is-the-green-tide-in-the-spring-leaves-the-redness-of-cherries/) [William of Ockham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-of-ockham/) > [“It is futile to do with more what can be done with fewer.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-of-ockham/it-is-futile-to-do-with-more-what-can-be-done-with-fewer/) [William of Ockham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-of-ockham/) > [Never increase, beyond what is necessary, the number of entities required to explain anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-of-ockham/never-increase-beyond-what-is-necessary-the-number-of-entities/) [William of Ockham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-of-ockham/) > [“Entities should not be multiplied beyond necessity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-of-ockham/entities-should-not-be-multiplied-beyond-necessity/) [William of Ockham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-of-ockham/) [Explore all 24 William of Ockham quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-of-ockham/) ## More Creativity quotes > [The prophet who fails to present a bearable alternative and yet preaches doom is part of the trap that he postulates. Not only does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mead/the-prophet-who-fails-to-present-a-bearable-alternative-and-yet/) [Margaret Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mead/) > [That's the great secret of creativity. You treat ideas like cats: you make them follow you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/that-s-the-great-secret-of-creativity-you-treat-ideas-like-cats-you/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [“The Soviet “creative intelligentsia” - that is, people accustomed to thinking one thing, saying another and doing a third - is as a whole…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrei-amalrik/the-soviet-creative-intelligentsia-that-is-people-accustomed-to/) [Andrei Amalrik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrei-amalrik/) > [It’s so important to create in your own voice, to hold onto what makes you unique, and have faith in your vision.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lasseter/it-s-so-important-to-create-in-your-own-voice-to-hold-onto-what-makes/) [John Lasseter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lasseter/) > [A rock pile ceases to be a rock pile the moment a single man contemplates it, bearing within him the image of a cathedral.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/a-rock-pile-ceases-to-be-a-rock-pile-the-moment-a-single-man/) [Antoine de Saint-Exupery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/) > [You don't get lucky. You create lucky.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-sharma/you-don-t-get-lucky-you-create-lucky/) [Robin Sharma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-sharma/) > [By making conscious choices in our behavior and where we focus our attention, we can transform our experience of our body, decrease our biological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/by-making-conscious-choices-in-our-behavior-and-where-we-focus-our/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [“You are the end of beauty and creativity one must have created so far.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-f-moonzajer/you-are-the-end-of-beauty-and-creativity-one-must-have-created-so-far/) [M.F. Moonzajer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-f-moonzajer/) > [Jonah Lehrer is one of the most talented explainers of science that we’ve got. What a pleasure it is to follow his investigation of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-foer/jonah-lehrer-is-one-of-the-most-talented-explainers-of-science-that/) [Joshua Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-foer/) > [If you've got creativity, imagination, and intelligence, and you want to be hypnotised, then there's no reason you shouldn't be able to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-barry/if-you-ve-got-creativity-imagination-and-intelligence-and-you-want-to/) [Keith Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-barry/) > [“I believe in magic. As a writer, I create them on blank paper.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonnia-kemmer/i-believe-in-magic-as-a-writer-i-create-them-on-blank-paper/) [Sonnia Kemmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonnia-kemmer/) > [Creativity is like chasing chickens.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christoph-niemann/creativity-is-like-chasing-chickens/) [Christoph Niemann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christoph-niemann/) > [It is proposed that a form of free dialogue may well be one of the most effective ways of investigating the crisis which faces…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bohm/it-is-proposed-that-a-form-of-free-dialogue-may-well-be-one-of-the/) [David Bohm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bohm/) > [You always hear actors say, 'Theater is my first love,' and it is. It's a time when you really get to do what you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-landecker/you-always-hear-actors-say-theater-is-my-first-love-and-it-is-it-s-a/) [Amy Landecker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-landecker/) > [Create an environment for people to fail, to learn, and to grow. Their creativity and productivity will increase.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/create-an-environment-for-people-to-fail-to-learn-and-to-grow-their/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 13,625 Creativity quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creativity/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It is vain to do with more what can be done with less.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "William of Ockham" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-of-ockham/it-is-vain-to-do-with-more-what-can-be-done-with-less/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Creativity" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-of-ockham/it-is-vain-to-do-with-more-what-can-be-done-with-less/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e0/william-of-ockham-23662_creativity_it-is-vain-to-do-with-more-what-can-be-d_2803084.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e0/william-of-ockham-23662_creativity_it-is-vain-to-do-with-more-what-can-be-d_2803084.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e0/william-of-ockham-23662_creativity_it-is-vain-to-do-with-more-what-can-be-d_2803084.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It is vain to do with more what can be done with less.” — William of Ockham", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "William of Ockham", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-of-ockham/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It is vain to do with...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-of-ockham/it-is-vain-to-do-with-more-what-can-be-done-with-less/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-of-ockham/it-is-vain-to-do-with-more-what-can-be-done-with-less/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```