Subtract

Why do we always look to add when improving something? Could subtracting instead hold the keys to beauty, efficiency, and progress?

1. Our Minds Resist Subtraction Naturally

Humans are hardwired to add rather than subtract. When considering ways to make things better, we instinctively pile on rather than take away. This inclination has deep historical roots and is evident from the way we live and think today.

Research shows that this bias isn’t necessarily about preference but mental accessibility. For instance, when tasked with improving a Lego structure, most people add blocks rather than remove them, simply because subtraction doesn’t come to mind. Mentally, the "add solution" sits closer on the metaphorical shelf than subtraction.

Even our cultural habits reflect this pattern. Consider homes filled to the brim with items and study environments cluttered with "useful" books and gadgets. Our urge to accumulate, rather than streamline, can actually limit clarity and create unnecessary burdens.

Examples

• People altered soup recipes in experiments by adding ingredients rather than removing them.
• New Year’s resolutions more often reflect goals to "do more" rather than "do less.”
• San Francisco resisted removing a massive freeway blocking waterfront access until an earthquake forced their hand.

2. Addition Feels Rewarding

Adding doesn’t just come naturally—it also feels great. Humans and even other species find satisfaction in accumulating and constructing new things, as it perhaps signals competence and survival advantages.

Consider bowerbirds in the wild, which construct extravagant nests filled with vibrant objects to impress mates. Just like these birds, humans feel accomplished and in control when they add to their environments, whether it’s building physical structures or completing collections.

From an evolutionary standpoint, this behavior was once essential. Acquiring food, shelter, and resources was a matter of survival for our ancestors. This instinct, though beneficial in the past, can lead to overspending, materialism, and clutter in today’s capitalist environment.

Examples

• The author struggled with deleting outdated files from his computer, feeling more "productive" by keeping them.
• Shoppers find joy in accumulating unnecessary items during sales events.
• Ancient humans added monumental structures like Göbekli Tepe, an early step toward settled civilization.

3. Adding Was the Catalyst for Civilization

Humans’ preference for adding laid the foundation for the development of modern society. Göbekli Tepe, one of the earliest examples of monumental architecture, demonstrates how addition created community and cooperation.

This site in Turkey shows that the gigantic stone temple was built by hunter-gatherer groups working together. The effort required them to settle down and pool resources, leading to the invention of agriculture and the first permanent societies. Addition became the starting point for human civilization itself.

The story of Göbekli Tepe highlights how the instinct to add brought individuals together for common goals, helping societies progress. While addition sparked such growth, humans rarely paused to question its long-term sustainability.

Examples

• Ancient humans abandoned nomadic lifestyles while building intricate structures like Göbekli Tepe.
• Constructing the Egyptian Pyramids brought together thousands of workers under structured systems.
• Medieval cathedral projects pushed cities to adopt advanced engineering techniques.

4. Modern Economies Thrive on Addition

Capitalist economics thrives on the human tendency to add. Since the mid-twentieth century, economies have been structured around the idea that continuous growth and consumption lead to prosperity.

Harry Truman’s famous 1949 speech advocated for mass production, employment, and global economic growth as a path to peace. Inspired by Keynesian economics, this approach has driven extraordinary advances in health, income, and quality of life worldwide.

However, this growth-focused model has its downsides. By equating constant addition with progress, modern societies have fostered busy, cluttered lives where rest becomes scarce and mental stress peaks.

Examples

• Global per capita income quadrupled between 1950 and 2016.
• Post-World War II consumer culture spurred massive industrial innovation.
• Today’s "busyness culture" leads individuals to overload their schedules.

5. Subtraction Can Resolve Systemic Issues

Large, complex systems often seem immovable, but subtraction can dismantle harmful structures. Racism, for example, is deeply rooted in systems that perpetuate inequality.

While many aim to fight inequality by adding initiatives—like educational programs or funding—these approaches often overlook the need to remove discriminatory systems themselves. Efforts to subtract barriers, rather than constantly adding resources to overcome them, address the root cause of inequality.

Historical examples, such as the divestment campaigns that weakened South Africa’s apartheid regime, show subtraction can be more successful than simply layering on solutions to an existing problem.

Examples

• Racist legal structures prevent fair access to opportunities in many nations.
• Apartheid ended after international financial divestments reduced its economic power.
• Campaigners often focus on creating new programs rather than eliminating unjust laws.

6. Subtraction Elevates Good to Great

Subtraction requires effort but can elevate outcomes from satisfactory to exceptional. Whether editing an essay or reimagining a cityscapes, removing unnecessary elements creates cleaner, more effective results.

Mark Twain’s quip about writing a short letter highlights the difficulty of distilling words. Likewise, Kate Orff’s redesign of Lexington, Kentucky, illustrates subtraction’s value. She revitalized the city by uncovering a creek buried for over a century, transforming it into a central communal feature.

While subtracting takes more energy, it often rewards with cleaner designs, less clutter, and greater usefulness.

Examples

• Lexington’s transformation benefited from subtracting unwanted structures over its creek.
• Frequent travelers lighten their load by reducing unnecessary items in their luggage.
• A well-edited essay often communicates much more than longer drafts.

7. Human Desire to Add Can Be Reversed

Just as human evolution shaped the instinct to add, deliberate actions can help individuals embrace subtraction. Choosing subtraction starts with valuing simplicity and assessing needs.

When people are reminded they can solve problems by removing rather than adding, they’re more likely to do so. This was evident in experiments where participants, prompted to consider subtraction, improved designs by removing rather than adding components.

Retraining the brain takes effort, but practicing subtraction can eventually change habits, resulting in a clearer vision of what’s necessary and what’s clutter.

Examples

• Reminder cues increase subtraction rates in problem-solving experiments.
• Minimalist lifestyles promote removing excess for mental clarity.
• Fewer ingredients in cooking lead to more authentic and enjoyable flavors.

8. Practice Subtraction for Mental Clarity

Clutter—whether physical, mental, or organizational—becomes noise over time. Regular subtraction helps foster clarity and focus on what truly matters.

By removing unnecessary belongings, documents, or even commitments, you can create space where energy and creativity thrive. But tackling subtraction requires planning and self-awareness to avoid falling back into an addition mindset.

Minimalism, decluttering, and simplicity movements have gained traction as people feel overwhelmed by excess. Subtraction can help maintain balance in complex, fast-paced environments.

Examples

• Decluttering physical spaces like work desks improves productivity.
• Removing redundant tools from workflows sharpens focus on core activities.
• Streamlining daily schedules leaves room for meaningful leisure.

9. Subtracting Fosters True Progress

Progress often comes not from tacking on improvements but from refining and simplifying systems, whether in urban layouts or personal habits. By embracing subtraction, societies and individuals can make leaps instead of incremental shifts.

We need only look to examples of urban planners who’ve subtracted structures to restore green spaces or innovative companies that cut wasteful processes to deliver simpler, better outcomes. Subtraction, though challenging, leads to breakthroughs by forcing deeper thought.

From architecture to interpersonal relationships, subtracting unnecessary features fosters meaningful progress that addition alone cannot supply.

Examples

• San Francisco’s Embarcadero, previously blocked by a double-decker freeway, became an iconic waterfront upon removing the structure.
• Simplified interfaces like those of early iPhones revolutionized the tech industry.
• Companies streamline workflows by focusing only on priorities deemed essential.

Takeaways

1. Regularly identify areas in life, work, or routine where subtraction could simplify tasks or improve outcomes.
2. Train your mind to see subtraction as an option by questioning whether adding is truly necessary.
3. Start small by decluttering spaces or workflows to practice how subtraction benefits clarity and efficiency.