Law of Triviality

In a decision-making process, individuals and groups may face both complicated and straightforward issues. The Law of Triviality proposes that people tend to spend more time and energy on matters that are simple to grasp and discuss, often those that have little impact, because these issues are less intimidating and provide a sense of quick accomplishment. In contrast, more complex issues that may require more expertise, effort, and potential conflict might be side-stepped or given minimal attention.

A classic example is a committee spending hours discussing the color to paint a bicycle shed while glossing over the substantial details of an expansive power plant project. Similarly, in business meetings, discussions might focus extensively on minor details such as the choice of fonts in a presentation while major strategic decisions receive less attention.

Critics argue that while the Law of Triviality offers insights into decision-making inefficiencies, the binary distinction between 'trivial' and 'important' issues is not always clear-cut. Certain simple tasks might hold symbolic importance or contribute indirectly to organizational culture and morale, and thus their discussion should not be uniformly dismissed as trivial.