if u keep adding positive numbers to a sum u always get bigger number
if u keep multiplying positive factors into a product u dont necesarily see the 
same kind of thing, factors smaler than 1.0 will make number go down
the problem we r going to talk about todey is that many ppl think of stuff as 
big sums instead of a product of stuff
this is a bit too simple since in reality the factors are not independent of 
each other (an ingredient might correspond to some factor in one context and a 
different one in another context. things would be a bit unintresting if this 
wasnt the case, just multiply together all >1.0 ingredients in existence to get 
optimal thing) but u get the idea, adding more stuff to something can make the 
result WORSE

imagine a universe where betoven moonlight sonata wasnt known, then one day 
somebody digs up an early draft of the thing from some dusty attic. most of the 
important stuff is present but its lacking a few passages here and there to tie 
the thing together into a coherent masterpeace. this universe is kinda weird 
and for some reason axl rose is assigned to the task of finishing it up. axl 
takes a look at the draft, thinking yep this skeleton sure needs some meat on 
the bone, immediately gets to work adding drum fills and a sick ass solo by 
slash in the end

an equivalent thing happened in the real universe to the game jebcraft, 
formerly known as minecraft. notch persson made a cool unfinished game (it 
lacks a challenge and therefore is not a complete game), made a bunch of mony 
off it, then as a prank hired this guy jeb bergenstein to "finish it up". jeb 
bergenstein proceeds to add 200diff types of blocks, a buncha complexity mostly 
in the form of static content (villages full of retarded downs-syndrome noise 
making inhabitants, weird alternate hell dimension with DRAGON, scary undersea 
temples, weird potions and magic stuff that u can do to items to make them glow 
blue or watever, the list goes on but im getting physically ill). jeb 
bergenstein succeeded in tacking on enough <1.0 factors to render jebcraft a 
disgusting desecration of notchs unfinished work. that lady who fixed up that 
jesus painting has a lot to learn here

when faced with something suboptimal (or "incomplete" as they would say, 
regardless of whether the thing is actually incomplete or too complete), ppl 
often have this auto thought "hmm, wat is mising" and almost never "hmm, wat 
shud be removed". if ur food tastes like shit, wat spice to add. if ur sick, 
wat drug do i need. maybe ur food sux cuz u put some stupid shit in it and 
maybe u r constantly exposed to something that makes u ill

the italians understand this shit, thats why they food is so sick. rather than 
adding a bunch of random shit they keep the list of ingredients small and 
privileged, the carefully selected factors multiply into a nice big number. it 
isnt hard to bring to mind countless examples of various numbskulls "improving" 
on these classic recipes by adding more stuff. this is not to say improvements 
are completely impossible, but u are fighting centuries of recipe evolution

just in case u happen to be one of these ppl who think taste is completely 
subjective, lets for completeness quickly go trhoguh why this couldnt be more 
wrong. its very simple: humans are mostly the same, with some tiny variations, 
and therefore mostly like the same stuff. objectively good stuf stands the test 
of time. u dont always know if something is good or bad initially, and the more 
time has passed the clearer it becomes - the noise is forgotten, leaving only 
the stuff worth storing in our collective memory. this is not a random process, 
its just thats the calculation is difficult and takes a while