50. On Simplification：The more developed democracy becomes, the simpler society grows.

Rulers in authoritarian states invariably complicate simple matters. Only by doing so can they satisfy the fundamental needs of autocratic governance. These needs are twofold: First, to create sufficient unearned positions to sustain an ever-expanding ruling class; second, to perpetually demonstrate their infallibility and wisdom before the governed.

To create more unearned positions, they assign ten people to handle tasks one person could manage, or devise ten steps for a single-step solution. In short, they exhaust every avenue to complicate simple social issues. This generates entirely unnecessary positions to sustain the unearned class. This is precisely why, throughout history, autocratic states invariably suffer from bloated bureaucracies filled with redundant officials, clerks, and staff.

To demonstrate their correctness and wisdom, they spout officialese, clichés, and empty rhetoric, inventing new jargon and proposing novel ideologies. These words, phrases, and concepts not only fail to solve problems but become severe obstacles to solutions. What's even more laughable is that they themselves may not even understand what these words, phrases, and ideas are meant to convey. Yet they perform them daily, for without doing so, they cannot mask their stupidity and ignorance, nor demonstrate their "greatness, glory, and correctness." Anyone with common sense knows that the way to solve problems is always to simplify complex issues. The more capable one is, the better they can simplify problems. Yet the effect of authoritarian systems in selecting talent is always "the competent fail while the incompetent prevail." Thus, the longer authoritarianism persists, the more foolish the ruling class becomes. To mask their own stupidity, these fools constantly complicate simple matters.

This tendency to complicate simple issues is highly contagious, spreading to every corner of society. This results in people being perpetually entangled in intricate social relationships―from daily life to professional spheres―constantly expending time and resources navigating these connections. These complexities trap individuals, suffocating them unless they ascend to the societal elite where such bonds lose their grip. For the rest, these relationships inevitably lead to moments of profound collapse and despair.

The transition from authoritarianism to democracy is inherently a process of simplifying social relationships. The streamlining of social ties inevitably accompanies a nation's democratization.

In our essay "On the Concept of Hierarchy," we noted that in a democratic society, each individual possesses two distinct identities: civic and professional. Civic identity is uniform, while professional identity is infinitely varied.

From the citizen's perspective, how one lives and makes choices is entirely a matter of freedom. As long as citizens do not violate legal provisions, they may follow their hearts. Therefore, society imposes only one requirement on citizens: to obey the law. For citizens, the law is also a subject they continuously study, so the vast majority possess sufficient understanding of it, making compliance relatively straightforward. Even if a citizen is completely ignorant of the law, as long as they adhere to the principle of "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you," they can still comply with the law. Thus, from a citizen's perspective, life need not be overly complicated.

From a professional perspective, regardless of one's occupation, we are all providing labor to society. We exchange the fruits of our labor with others to obtain the material necessities of life―this is the essence of all work. Regardless of occupation, society demands only one thing: adherence to the law. This compliance manifests through fulfilling one's professional duties. Teachers cannot be unaware that their duty is to impart knowledge to students; judges cannot be unaware that their duty is to uphold fairness and justice; merchants cannot be unaware that their duty is to provide genuine goods; workers cannot be unaware that their duty is to perform their tasks diligently; civil servants cannot be unaware that their duty is to enforce the law according to its provisions. In short, practitioners of any legitimate profession must clearly understand their responsibilities and fully grasp their professional duties. Given this, work need not be overly complex from a professional standpoint.

Therefore, in a democratic society, citizens need only obey the law and perform their duties diligently to live simply and freely. For all social relationships are, at their core, fundamentally simple. True democracy inevitably pursues the essence of social relationships; the more it pursues this essence, the simpler those relationships become. The simpler the social relationships, the fewer resources are wasted in managing them. Less wasted resources benefit society as a whole. Thus, social simplification is a hallmark of democratic nations: the more developed the democracy, the simpler the society.