Have you ever had an idea rejected at first, only to have someone come back to it later and realize its truth? This can be due to The Simplicity Paradox or Initial Rejection Bias.
Initial rejection bias is the phenomenon where the first idea is dismissed by a person or group simply because it is first. And when coupled with the innate suspicion that something simple must be incomplete or inadequate, it further moves a person to reject it.
This can happen with a partner when choosing a name for a baby or with a group of people suggesting places to eat. Often the first thing suggested is rejected due to initial rejection bias.
“The tallest poppy gets cut down” is a proverb that describes the common psychological and social behavior that is often rooted in status quo bias, fear of standing out, or social conformity. Oftentimes the initial proposal is dismissed simply because it’s the first to “stand out.” Additionally, there’s anchoring resistance, where groups avoid the first idea because they worry it will set a fixed direction (a “trunk”) too early.
People often believe the “best” idea must come after careful deliberation. While this is sometimes true, this can lead to good ideas being thrown out in favor of further brainstorming, even when the first suggestion might have been sound.
Only when the initial rejection bias is removed is the group able to accept it, because they have understood what the solution means. Only through exploration and discussion can the group unpack the “deceptive depth” of the simple solution, revealing that its elegance actually stems from a well-rounded understanding—thus overcoming the initial bias.
Knowledge or understanding is often built layer by layer, drawing on foundational ideas that have already been established—similar to how formal proofs build upon axioms and previously proven theorems. In informal reasoning, people rely on a kind of mental scaffolding or internal “proof” process where they validate new ideas based on established beliefs, past experiences, or accepted truths.
Occam’s Razor asserts that simplicity often holds the best answer, yet highlights how simplicity must first prove its merit before being accepted. The idea is to reason to a solution through proofs in a “standing on the shoulders of giants” type of way. We’ll cover that in the next chapter.
This is chapter 4 in the book, Think Again, on Amazon Kindle.