Truth is ever to be found in simplicity, and not in the

Hear the immortal words of Isaac Newton, master of the stars and the laws that bind them: “Truth is ever to be found in simplicity, and not in the multiplicity and confusion of things.” These are not the musings of an idle thinker, but the hard-won wisdom of a man who gazed into the workings of the cosmos and discerned its harmony. Newton, who gave the world the law of gravity, the foundations of calculus, and the secrets of light, teaches here that truth does not hide in needless complexity, but in the clear and simple patterns that underlie all things.

The ancients knew this as well. The Pythagoreans, who studied numbers, taught that harmony and order reveal the hidden structure of the world. They saw the music of the spheres, simple ratios that govern sound and motion. The wise have always sought the truth not in tangled words or endless confusion, but in the clarity of what is essential. For while confusion clouds the mind, simplicity pierces it like a ray of light through shadow.

Consider Newton’s own discovery of gravity. He did not drown in the endless complexity of every falling leaf, every rolling stone, every orbiting planet. Instead, he asked: what single principle might govern them all? And he found it: a universal force, simple yet profound, binding apple and moon alike. In this way, Newton himself embodied his saying, for he sought not confusion but the elegant simplicity where truth dwells.

We may see this also in the life of the great teacher Jesus of Nazareth. Surrounded by laws, rituals, and the complexities of tradition, he declared simply: “Love God, and love your neighbor.” Two commandments, clear and bright, where others multiplied rules and burdens. The power of his teaching lay in its simplicity, cutting through confusion to reveal the heart of truth. And for this very reason, his words endure through centuries, while the labyrinths of men’s doctrines rise and fall.

The lesson is clear: those who seek truth must learn to strip away the unnecessary, to look past the noise and confusion of things. Do not mistake complexity for wisdom, nor ornament for strength. A thousand arguments may be raised, but often the truth stands quietly in a single principle, a single sentence, a single act of clarity. The mind must be trained to cut through the tangle and discern the essence.

Yet beware—simplicity does not mean shallowness. It is not the laziness of refusing to think, but the courage to think deeply until all that is unnecessary falls away. It is the simplicity of the sculptor, who chips away the stone until only the statue remains. It is the simplicity of the sage, who speaks few words, yet each word carries weight enough to shake the soul. Truth is not found in the heap of fragments, but in the core that unites them.

What then shall be our practice? When faced with confusion, ask: what is essential here? When tempted by complexity, seek the thread of simplicity that runs through all. In speech, choose clarity over ornament. In thought, pursue essence over distraction. In life, honor the principles that stand firm—justice, love, honesty, discipline. Thus shall you walk the path of Newton, and of all the wise: a path where truth shines in simplicity, and the soul is freed from the fog of confusion.