Theory of Omission

Whether you run a product or service business, making your message stick is crucial. You know your audience. You’ve done the research. But what makes an idea land isn’t just what you say—it’s what you leave unsaid.

Hemingway called it the “theory of omission.” He compared writing to an iceberg: only one-eighth is visible, while the deeper meaning lies below the surface. The same principle applies in science—elegant models gain strength through simplicity. And when it comes to education, the right omissions shape how knowledge is absorbed and retained.

But simplicity doesn’t mean stripping things down at random. Content without context is just noise. The real question is: Where and how will your audience engage with this information?

• Are they catching your message in person, online, or while distracted in a noisy lunchroom?
• Do they need to apply this knowledge hands-on, or will it serve as a guiding principle over time?
• Are you creating a one-time touchpoint or inviting them into an ongoing conversation?

These questions aren’t just an exercise in clarity. They’re a blueprint for strategic omission. Cutting the clutter isn’t about dumbing things down—it’s about creating space for meaning to emerge.

Breadcrumbs, Not Bombardment

Ever read a paper or worked through a module so dense you had to re-read it just to grasp the basics? That’s the problem.?If everything is emphasized, nothing is.

Your audience doesn’t need a firehose of information; they need breadcrumbs. The right amount of detail sparks curiosity and invites them to explore more, whether that means turning the page, clicking the next module, or pausing to reflect. And this is where conversation matters. In today’s attention economy, we’re competing not just with each other, but with a flood of quick, emotionally charged content that gives people the illusion of knowledge without true understanding. If we over-explain, we risk losing their curiosity. If we under-explain, we leave them guessing.

So here’s the challenge: what are you leaving out?

Take a hard look at your next project, course, or campaign. Are you making room for engagement? Are you setting the stage for deeper discovery? The impact of your work isn’t always in what you include—but in what you wisely leave behind, Hemigway said it best regarding prose and I think it applies to knowledge transfer more so then ever in the 21st century.?