You've probably said you value simplicity. But when you look at how you actually live, you're not sure if that's true or if you've just adopted it as an idea. The question isn't whether simplicity sounds good. It's whether it's actually one of the values that guides your decisions and defines what matters to you.
Who This Is For (and Who It Is Not)
This is for you if you've caught yourself saying you value simplicity, but then you notice you keep adding complexity to your life anyway. You say yes to too many commitments. You accumulate things. You overthink decisions. You're aware of the gap between what you claim to value and what you're actually doing, and you want to know if simplicity is genuinely important to you or just something that sounds appealing in theory.
This is also for you if you're trying to make a decision about your work, your relationships, or your lifestyle and you're not sure whether simplicity should factor in. You might be choosing between a high-paying complex job and something quieter. You might be considering whether to cut back on social obligations or whether that's just avoidance dressed up as a value. You need clarity on whether simplicity is actually pulling you toward something or just repelling you from something uncomfortable.
This is probably not for you if you already live in genuine alignment with simplicity. You're not wracked by contradiction about it. You're not wondering if it's real. You know what you value and why, and you act on it. If that's your situation, you likely benefit more from a framework that helps you understand the values that are in tension with simplicity in your life, which is a different question altogether.
What You Will Discover
Once you apply Schwartz's framework of basic human values to your own life, you stop being confused by the gap between what you think you should value and what you actually do. Schwartz's research, tested across 80 countries, identified ten universal value types that sit in a circular structure. Values that are adjacent on that circle are compatible with each other. Values that are opposite create genuine tension. Simplicity isn't floating in isolation. It connects to some values and competes with others. When you understand which values sit next to simplicity and which ones push against it, you can see why you keep making choices that contradict it. You're not failing at simplicity. You're succeeding at something else.
You'll also stop wasting energy trying to force yourself to care about something you don't actually care about. If you discover that simplicity isn't truly one of your core values, you can stop performing it and start being honest about what actually drives you. If it turns out simplicity is real for you but it's in tension with another value you rank higher, you stop treating every moment of complexity as a personal failure. You understand the trade-off. You make it conscious. That clarity is what changes how you live.
Common Reasons People Wait
The first reason is that simplicity sounds like it should be a value, especially right now. There's cultural momentum behind it. It sounds enlightened. Waiting means you might discover it isn't actually important to you, and that feels like admitting something unflattering. But discovering that simplicity isn't your core value doesn't mean you're shallow or failed. It means you know yourself. And knowing yourself is what makes actual change possible. Guessing at your values and then judging yourself for not living them just creates spinning.
The second reason is that you think you already know the answer. You think you're just procrastinating on having to change how you live. But the people who most benefit from this framework are the ones who discover they've been wrong about what they value. If you were right about simplicity being core to you, going through the assessment confirms it and gives you language and structure for the changes you need to make. If you were wrong, that's more valuable than staying confused for another year.
The third reason is that you're hoping simplicity will solve something else, and you want to nail this value first before you move on. You think if you can just get serious about simplicity, the overwhelm will stop, or the decision-making will get easier, or you'll finally feel at peace. Those things might happen. But they might not be about simplicity at all. They might be about other values that are actually driving you. The framework shows you where you actually are, which is the only place you can start from.
The My Values assessment surfaces your actual values, ranks them in order, and shows you the specific gaps between what you value most and how you're currently living. That's where clarity starts.
How do I know if simplicity is really my core value or just what sounds good?
Look at how you make decisions under pressure, not how you talk about your life when you have time to think. Do you naturally reach for the simplest option, or do you add layers of nuance and detail even when simplicity would work? Do you feel relief when things simplify, or do you feel like something is missing? Your values show up in what you choose when nobody's watching.
What if simplicity conflicts with another value I care about more?
That's exactly how Schwartz's framework works. In his circular model, some values naturally oppose each other. Simplicity sits opposite to values like achievement or status. If achievement ranks higher than simplicity for you, you'll make choices that add complexity in service of accomplishment, and that's not a failure. It's a known trade-off. Understanding the trade-off consciously beats pretending the conflict doesn't exist.
Can a value like simplicity change over time?
Your values can shift, but usually not randomly. They tend to shift when you face a real change in circumstances or when you see that living by a value you thought mattered is actually making you unhappy. Life stage matters too. Simplicity might become more central as you age or less central as you take on ambitious projects. The framework helps you see where you actually are right now, which is the only honest place to start.
What if I take the assessment and discover I don't actually value simplicity at all?
Then you stop wasting energy trying to be someone you're not. You can pursue complexity with less guilt. Or you can get curious about what you actually do value and build a life around that instead. The confusion stops. The performance stops. And it turns out that's more freeing than trying to force yourself into a value that was never yours to begin with.