The Principle of Least Effort: Zipf's Law
“A general “law of least effort” applies to cognitive as well as physical exertion. The law asserts that if there are several ways of achieving the same goal, people will eventually gravitate to the least demanding course of action. In the economy of action, effort is a cost, and the acquisition of skill is driven by the balance of benefits and costs. Laziness is built deep into our nature.”
Daniel Kahneman
According to G.K. Zipf on the Principle of Least Effort
The principle of least effort (PLE) was proposed in 1949 by Harvard linguist George Kingsley. The principle of least effort is the theory that the "one single primary principle" in any human action, including verbal communication, is the expenditure of the least amount of effort to accomplish a task. Also known as Zipf's Law, Zipf's Principle of Least Effort, and the path of least resistance.
Main Point
People want the most outcomes for the least effort
Key Points
According to Ken Ferlic.
• In the world of energy, energy, which is allowed to flow freely, energy flows the path of least resistance for the environment in which it finds itself.
• Since energy and consciousness are different forms of the same thing, consciousness also follows the path of least resistance. What we do when we work with our belief structure for a creative endeavors and surrender to the flow of energy we create with the intention we hold we create a path of least resistance within our beliefs for what we desire to create.
• Energy is always flowing into and out of situations and into and out of ourselves and others. Every object is energy and influences every other object in existence to a greater or lesser extent. The closer we are to a given object the greater its energy will affect us.
• When you are in alignment with the energy, there is a very natural flow to the process.
• There is a natural flow to reality for every situation in which we find ourselves and the natural flow path is the path of least resistance.
• In many ways we can look at this process as a river flowing in a given direction through a given environment. The river current is the flow of the energy. All the pieces that come together in a given situation determine what type and kind of environment in which the river is flowing.
Additional Reading
The 80/20 Manager: The Secret to Working Less and Achieving More by Richard Koch
ALLOW: Mastering The Law of Least Effort to Receive Your Desires! by Matthew David Hurtado
Path of Least Resistance: Learning to Become the Creative Force in Your Own Life by Robert Fritz
Point of Reflection
“People choose the paths that grant them the greatest rewards for the least amount of effort.”
David Shore