This is Signal vs. Noise, a weblog by 37signals about design, business, experience, simplicity, the web, culture, and more. Established 1999 in Chicago. Follow us on Twitter for more information on our products.

I think it’s something that everybody learns in due time, as a part of “growing up” (for lack of a better term). Have you ever spent time with older people who have not learned simplicity? They are invariably crazy.

Sometimes, I wish Hollywood would “grow up” in this manner. I’m tired of special effects being the focus of the movie. I’m tired of people being replaced with CG just “because we can.” I like movies and all, but most of my favorite movies are not very impressive, visually. Why is all the focus there?

I personally believe it’s related to the fact that “complicated is easy, simple is hard”. To be able to discern the needed vs. wanted, to be able to distill to the essential elements – these are things that require thought. And concentrated thought can be painful, or at least not as easy as keeping things just as complicated as they need be, and not one bit more.

Restraint is one of the hardest skills to master, whether it’s in craft or music or design.

We don’t just need to learn restraint. We need to learn why restraint is a virtue.

I have a hard time convincing people in their 30s to back up, slow down, and cut the frills. It is nearly impossible with people in their 20s (people I work with will usually do what I say, but it is more along the lines of “the old man says to do it this way; sheesh, what a geezer” – and I’m just all of 40).